SECOND ADVENT DOCTRINE 
VINDICATED. 

A 

SERMON 

PREACHED AT THE DEDICATION 

OF 

THE TABERNACLE. 



BY REV. S. IIAWLEY. 




WITH THE ADDRESS OF THE TABERNACLE 
COMMITTEE. 



BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HUES, 

14 Devonshire Street. 

18 4 3. 



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^lafi 



DISCOURSE. 



"I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it 

shall be no more, until he come whose right it is ; and 
I will give it him." 

Ezek. xxi. 27. 

As Christ is the end of the Law, so is he 
the end of Prophecy. It all centres in him. 
This fact gives it its character, its interest, 
its importance, its glory. His work, as re- 
storer of what was lost by sin, is the point 
to which the prophecy directs and holds the 
attention. But the features of this work are 
only gradually unfolded. We have, first, a 
general and indefinite promise, an obscure 
hint, and then occasional predictions having 
no apparent connection or order; and, sub- 
sequently, others, definite and connected, 
bringing out all the parts of the work, and 
giving order, system, and beauty to the 
whole. We have the rough outline, and 
then the filling up — the chaotic mass, and 
then the shaping of the whole into order, 
harmony, and beauty. Often, in the proph- 
ecy, great events, though different in char- 
acter, and separate as to time, are grouped 
together, and presented to view as though 
really connected. But increased light, arising 



from additional revelations, shows their true 
order. Sometimes we have the events prop- 
erly arranged, without any clues as to the 
times and seasons of their occurrence. These, 
also, at the proper time and place, are fur- 
nished. 

But this method is only adopted in regard 
to the events of the distant future. All the 
light that is requisite at any one period, is 
abundantly furnished. The only light that 
could have been needed, in reference to the 
distant future, was enough to give form and 
direction to the faith, and to fix the hope of 
God's people. And this has steadily in- 
creased, as the periods towards which the 
prophecy directed the eye, have approached. 
The first great promise, made in Eden, con- 
tains, in the smallest limits, the whole truth 
and history of redemption. The whole of 
its mysteries, its successes, its reverses, its 
conflicts, its victories, its glories, are included 
in that single brief announcement. It com- 
prises, in miniature form, the most stupen- 
dous truths, the grandest displays of moral 
power, the most brilliant conquests, and the 
highest state of bliss and glory. The Bible 
is merely an expansion and illustration of that 
great promise. It will require an eternity to 
give us the idea in its fulness, richness, glory. 
But the truth it presented, like the shapeless 
and unorganized elements of the earth at 
their creation, was in a chaotic state. It 
was needful to give it form, order, symmetry. 



It was needful to bring out the means by 
which, and the times and seasons at which, 
it was to have its fulfilment. This is the 
work of the Bible. But it was a gradual 
work. Its revelations become more and 
more clear, definite, and systematic. Its light 
grows brighter arifl. brighter to its completion. 
We have now the full plan, in all its parts. 
We have the events and their order, the 
truths and their classification. But these 
are not given on one page, or always in the 
same connection, and yet, in many instan- 
ces, they are presented in such succinctness, 
such order, as to make all plain to the care- 
ful reader. 

The text is a prophecy unfolding the order 
of the most important events connected with 
the great work of Christ. It is one of the 
prophecies relating to order. It stretches 
- over a vast space of time, and fixes the mind 
upon two great crises or turning points that 
would occur during that period, and the state 
of things succeeding each. The first is, the 
entire subversion of the kingdom of Israel, 
succeeded by a long and gloomy period of 
desolation and dispersion; the last is, the 
coming of Christ to restore the kingdom, fol- 
lowed by the millennial state of bliss and 
glory. It involves, therefore, a fearful threat- 
ening, and a cheering promise. The first is 
to have its full execution before the other is 
fulfilled. For how long a period the threat- 
ening has been in process of execution ! More 
1* 



than two thousand four hundred years have 
passed since it commenced ! But the work of 
vengeance is not yet done. The kingdom is 
yet in ruins. He, to whom it belongs, has 
not yet come. And, to look for anything but 
overturning, change, desolation, and depres- 
sion until that time, is to disregard the Bible, 
and to cherish expectations most certainly to 
be disappointed. All this side of that point, 
will be, to God's people, a period of sorrow, 
darkness, affliction, and trial ; for the mouth 
of the Lord hath spoken it. When he comes 
whose the kingdom is, their days of mourn- 
ing will be ended, and the period of their 
joys and rejoicings will begin. 

I propose on this occasion to discuss the 
following points. 

I. The personal reign of Christ on earth. 

II. The identity of the millennium with 

THAT REIGN. 

III. THE PREPARATORY EVENTS OF THAT REIGN. 

IV. The privileges and enjoyments of that 

REIGN. 

V. The evidences that that reign is about 
to begin. 

I propose to pass over this wide field of 
investigation, for two reasons. First, to cor- 
rect, if possible, the common impression that 
the only thing that distinguishes the believers 
in the personal coming of Christ near, is the 
time. This impression has not been made 
without effort. The opposers of our views 



seem disposed to narrow down the matters 
of difference to this one point. To this we 
strongly object. We feel determined that 
the real points at issue between us shall be 
kept fully, and in their true light, before the 
public mind. My second reason is, that I 
may set before the hearer the true grounds 
of our faith, and the real basis of our hope. 
Those who oppose us, either deny or disre- 
gard our premises. In most cases, it is the 
latter. Where this is so, we can look for 
nothing but opposition. We claim to have 
a faith that is founded on evidence. And 
we think we are not so irrational, not so far 
gone in fanaticism, as not to know that our 
conclusions are no sounder than our premises 
— that our faith is no better than the evi- 
dence on which it rests. If they fail, or are 
proved unsound, the system must fail. If 
they stand, it will survive unharmed the 
fiercest and most desperate opposition. We 
wish, therefore, the question to be met on its 
merits, and to have a decision in the face of 
all our evidences. But a synopsis of these 
is all that I can hope to give in the present 
discourse. 

The point in order is — 

I. The personal reign of Christ on earth. 

This point is vital to the system we advo- 
cate. In the system it holds a central posi- 
tion. On it must turn the whole question. 
For, though the question of time should be 



8 

decided in our favor, there would then be 
ground for difference respecting the events to 
be expected. The character of the reign 
looked for, must decide the character of those 
events. If it be once admitted that Christ is 
to come to reign personally, we cannot see 
how our view of the character of accompa- 
nying events can be disputed. A personal 
reign implies a personal coming, and the 
events of such a coming all must admit to 
be such as we expect. But if Christ is only 
to commence a spiritual reign, our view of 
those events must be acknowledged to be 
wrong, and opposed to the Bible. To this 
point, then, attention is invited. 

1. The text I present as the highest proof 
of a personal reign. 

To give it its full force, a little explanation 
is needed. Four points of inquiry are in- 
volved in it. The first two of these cannot 
be doubtful; the last two will require some 
consideration. The points are: 1. What 
was intended by that which was to be over- 
turned and destroyed ? 2. Who was meant 
by he that should come, whose it was by 
right, and to whom it should be given ? 3. 
What particular coming was referred to 1 
4. What was to be the character of the com- 
ing ? If we find the first of these to be the 
kingdom of Israel; the second, Christ; the 
third, his second advent ; the fourth, a per- 
sonal coming ; all will be plain and incontro- 
vertible. As to the first two points of inquiry, 



as already remarked, there can be no doubt. 
That the two subjects of the prophecy are 
the kingdom of Israel and Christ, all the 
candid and judicious allow. Indeed, it is so 
clear as to command almost universal assent. 
The whole prophecy, including the context, 
pronounces the doom of Zedekiah, and the 
kingdom over which he unworthily and 
wickedly reigned. He was the last king 
that ever sat on the throne of Israel. His 
character and fate are thus faithfully set 
forth by the prophet: " And thou, profane 
wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, 
when iniquity shall have an end ; thus 
saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, 
and take off the crown ; this shall not be the 
same ; exalt him that is low, and abase him 
that is high." Then follows the prophecy 
constituting the text, showing the destiny of 
the kingdom. "I will overturn, overturn, 
overturn it ; and it shall be no more, until 
he come whose right it is ; and I will give it 
him." 

The glory, dignity, and independence of 
the kingdom had before this passed away ; 
and now its entire subversion is decreed. 
The stroke by which it lost its sovereignty 
fell in the days of Manasseh. From his 
time to the period of the delivery of this 
prophecy, it rapidly declined in strength and 
glory. Though of divine origin and of ce- 
lestial model, it had wonderfully degenerated 
and fallen. From its subjects and rulers 



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God had received the greatest provocations. 
They became a nation of idolators. They 
despised the origin, the model, the rightful 
king of their kingdom. They desired a king- 
dom modeled after the governments of this 
world, and a king like the nations around 
them. This God permitted, in his wrath. 
But the supreme power of the kingdom, when 
secured, was, for the most part of the time of 
its subsequent existence, used for the wicked- 
est and vilest purposes. So perverted had it 
become from its original purpose, that God 
determined on its overthrow. But he was 
slow in the execution of his purpose, that 
space might be given for amendment and 
reform. The Assyrians assailed and weak- 
ened it; the Egyptians annoyed and dimin- 
ished it ; and the Babylonians took away its 
independence. But, despite these judgments 
and other means of reform, the nation waxed 
worse and worse. Its day had now' come. 
Its measure of guilt was full. The time of 
its overthrow and subversion had approached. 
The stroke fell in the eleventh year of the 
reign of Zedekiah, in the year 588 B. C. 
Nebuchadnezzar was made the instrument of 
this work. He commenced, and prosecuted 
with much zeal and skill, a siege against 
Jerusalem of eighteen months 7 continuance, 
and took it, pillaged the temple, carried out 
the vessels of the sanctuary, burned it with 
fire, destroyed the palace, overthrew the 
whole city, and carried Zedekiah, and the 



11 

remnant that escaped the slaughter of the 
siege, to Babylon, where he met a terrible 
doom. Thus ended the dynasty of Israel. 
Never since that period has one set on 
the throne of David. Though the nation 
was restored, the crown has not been re- 
placed. One, by the name of Hyrcanus, 
assumed regal authority, but he was slain, 
and succeeded by Herod. The Chronicles 
thus mournfully close this account: " There- 
fore he brought upon them the king of the 
Chaldeans, who slew their young men with 
the sword in the house of their sanctuary, 
and had no compassion upon young man or 
maiden, old man or him that stooped for 
age ; he gave them all into his hand. And 
all the vessels of the house of God, great and 
small, and the treasures of the house of the 
Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his 
princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 
And they burnt the house of God, and brake 
down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the 
palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all 
the goodly vessels thereof. And them that es- 
caped of the sword carried he away to Baby- 
lon, where they were servants to him and 
his sons, until the reign of the kingdom of 
Persia." Soon after the commencement of 
the Persian reign, they were restored, but 
without a Icing. God's decree was not to be 
revoked. It had gone out of his mouth, and 
could not return, that the kingdom should be 

AND BE 



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NO MORE, UNTIL HE SHOULD COME WHOSE RIGHT 
IT IS. 

We now come to consider the only points 
that need elucidation and proof. These re- 
late to the coming intended, and the charac- 
ter of it. As Christ is, beyond all dispute, 
the one who was to come, and to whom the 
kingdom was to be given, it is necessary, 
first, to inquire whether his first or a subse- 
quent coming be meant. And this, it seems, 
will admit of a very easy answer. All 
allow that Christ, after his first coming, in 
some sense was to come again. The testi- 
mony of Scripture is so ample and explicit, 
touching this point, as to preclude all shadow 
of doubt. Whether the prophecy referred to 
his first or this subsequent coming, is now 
the matter of inquiry. A few considerations 
will make this plain to all. 

1. It was not among the objects of his first 
coming, to reign. One fact will show this. 
There were two classes of prophecies, as well 
as two classes of types, unlike and opposite 
in their nature to each other, to be fulfilled 
by Christ. The first class set him forth as a 
man, of low and obscure origin, without per- 
sonal attractions; — as a sufferer; — as one 
subject to temptations, sorrow, trial, and 
other ills incident to life; — as an object of 
haired, scorn, reproach, and unceasing perse- 
cution ; — as one delivered to his enemies, to 
have a mock-trial, to be taunted, spit upon, 
and in various ways insulted, and at last to 



13 

be put to death, as the highest offender known 
to law ; — and as one who was to experience 
the gloom of the grave, and be raised, and, in 
due time, to pass into the heavens, and 
appear as a priest in the presence of God. 
The other class present him as the Lord of 
glory, clothed with majesty, coming in ven- 
geance to judge the world, and dashing his 
enemies to pieces as a potter's vessel, and 
swaying his sceptre over the whole earth; — 
as the one who should redeem his people from 
all their enemies, their sorrows, their afflic- 
tions, and introduce them into the renovated 
earth, and be their King forever and ever. 
The one class relate to his coming in humilia- 
tion ; — the other to his coming in glory. The 
one class describe him as a spiritual Redeem- 
er ; — the other as a physical Redeemer. The 
one class refer to him as a Prophet, Priest, 
Sacrifice; — the other as a Judge, Rewarder, 
King. The first class point to his coming to 
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ; — 
the other to his coming to proclaim the day 
of God's vengeance. These prophecies and 
types, so entirely opposite in their character, 
could not be fulfilled at one time, or at one 
manifestation of himself. All can see that he 
could not appear in these opposite characters, 
assume these opposite forms, perform these 
opposite things, and receive such opposite 
treatment, at one and the same coming. But 
which class of prophecies and types did he 
fulfil at his first coming? All will say, the 



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first If so, his first coming was not to reign. 
His coming to restore the kingdom of Israel, 
must be looked for at a subsequent period. 

2. Facts, known to all, clearly demon- 
strate, that the prophecy did not point to the 
first appearing of Messiah, as the period of its 
fulfilment. Nothing occurred at that time 
that approached towards a fulfilment of it. 
The kingdom of Israel was to be subject to 
overturnings, and cease to be, until Christ 
should come to receive it, to whom it be- 
longed by right. But when he came he did 
not receive it ; he refused the crown ; he left 
it, as he found it, in ruins ! And forty years 
after, the last vestige of it was by the Ro- 
mans destroyed, and its seat and capital 
utterly laid waste. And need I tell what 
has been its fate since? The world know 
what it has been. The withering decree of 
the Almighty is yet upon it. " NO MORE " 
are the two words of the prophecy that con- 
tain its history. Another coming, then, must 
be intended, or the prediction has failed. 
None of my Christian hearers will allow the 
latter. 

3. The Saviour, just prior to his ascension 
to heaven, in reply to a question of the disci- 
ples, relating to the time of the restoration of 
the kingdom, gave them most decidedly to 
understand that the period of such restoration 
was far future. They inquired, — " Lord, 
wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom 
again to Israel?" There can be no doubt, I 



15 

think, that this question was put in view of 
the very prophecy I have taken for my text. 
All can see that it related to time. There 
could be no ground for mistake as to the 
event. Our Saviour, in his answer, confines 
himself to time. He gave them to under- 
stand that the event was certain. But it was 
not for them to know, then, the times and 
seasons which the Father had put in his own 
power. The event was far future, and there 
was no necessity of giving an immediate 
revelation concerning the time. But that 
they might be still farther assured as to the 
certainty of the predicted restoration, they 
were told by two heavenly messengers, that 
appeared as soon as the Lord had gone up 
beyond their sight, that the same Jesus who 
had gone up from them should so come in 
like manner as they had seen him go to 
heaven. All can see that this language ex- 
presses a personal coming in the strongest 
and most decisive manner. That is the 
coming intended by the prophecy, to restore 
the kingdom. The disciples wished to know 
if he would fulfil the prophecy, at that time, 
or at that coming, and he, in his answer, con- 
veyed clearly the idea that the period was 
future that was assigned for its fulfilment, 
and not then to be known. But that they 
might not despair of its fulfilment, two angels 
are despatched, while the disciples are gazing 
towards heaven to catch another view of their 
ascending Lord, to assure them of his coming 



16 

again in person. This must have dispelled 
all doubt. Then, their faith in the restora- 
tion of the kingdom, and the manner, had a 
firm and immovable basis. It is therefore 
plain that the question of the disciples, and 
the answer of the Lord, together with the 
declaration of the angels, afford the clearest 
evidence that the prophecy relating to the 
kingdom is not to have its fulfilment until 
his future personal coming. To say the least, 
it shows that his first coming was not to re- 
ceive the kingdom. 

4. An additional proof of this is found in 
the fact that his first appearance was at the 
commencement of the supremacy of the fourth 
kingdom of Daniel's vision. That kingdom 
was one of the powers to be used in overturn- 
ing and subverting the kingdom of Israel. It 
did destroy the last remnant of it. And it 
was to have an existence of two thousand 
years' duration. All this long space of time 
would be necessary for it to pass through all 
its predicted changes. After its fall and 
ruin, Christ was to receive the kingdom. See 
Daniel vii. 9 — 14. That kingdom, in its last 
predicted form, yet continues. Israel's power 
is yet scattered and broken. Jerusalem is 
yet trodden down by the Gentiles, because 
the times of the Gentiles still continue. Da- 
vid's throne is not to be re-established until 
those times expire. When Christ first ap- 
peared, the Roman monarchy had but just 
begun its long, bloody, and terrible career. 



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It was but in its infancy. It was for many 
long ages to break and scatter the power of 
Israel. Christ's first coming, then, was not 
the one pointed to by the prophecy. 

5. The New Testament, with great unifor- 
mity, represents Christ as waiting /or, and 
not as reigning in. his kingdom. The Father 
thus addressed him, — "Sit thou on my right 
hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool." 
Ps. ex. 1. Acts ii. 34, 35. And Paul testi- 
fies, that he, after offering himself for sin, 
" sat down on the right hand of God ; from 
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made 
his footstool." Heb. x. 12, 13. And this 
same apostle assures us, that, when he comes 
again, he will come with his kingdom. 2 
Tim. iv. 1. Hence it is evident that he has 
not the kingdom which is his by right, and 
which he is to receive at his coming. It is 
not yet ready. The subjects are not all 
fitted, the territory is not yet prepared, the 
foes are not subdued, the dominion is yet in 
the hands of enemies. And his term of 
office as priest is not quite expired; he yet 
intercedes in heaven ; yet presents his own 
blood before the Father as a reason for the 
delay of justice. But he will soon relinquish 
that position, and take to himself his great 
power and reign. But, since he does not now 
reign in his kingdom, all must see that his 
first coming was not that referred to in the 
text. 

These reasons, though but a few of those 
2* 



18 

that might be offered, must satisfy all reason- 
able persons that the prophecy used for the 
text, did not have its fulfilment at Christ's 
first coming. We must then look for another 
coming as the period of its fulfilment. 

And the next point of inquiry relates to the 
character of that coming. Was a spiritual 
or personal coming intended! And it seems 
that little need be said on this point, after 
what has been advanced. The arguments 
just offered to prove the coming intended, 
must also prove that the coming would be 
personal. If there were two classes of 
prophecies relating to Messiah's coming, in 
different characters, for different purposes, 
and under different circumstances, as has 
been shown, and the first class of which were 
fulfilled by his personal advent ; how can it 
be rational to maintain that the other class 
will have a fulfilment by any other than a 
personal coming? The events of the latter 
class can no more be accomplished without a 
personal manifestation, than those of the 
former. And to deny that the latter do not 
refer to a personal appearing, is to deny that 
the former do not. The prophecy teaches as 
plainly, and more frequently, that Christ is 
to come in majesty, to reign, as that he 
should come in the form of a servant, to suf- 
fer and die. And if a personal coming be 
not meant in the one case, it cannot, for the 
same reason, be so meant in the other. We 
must, to be consistent, deny that a coming 



19 

in person was intended in both, or in neither, 
of the cases. Which, as lovers of the Bible, 
should we do? 

And the considerations, that the power of 
Israel is yet broken and scattered, — that the 
promise that he should come in like manner 
as he went to heaven, was made, by the 
angels, in connection with an inquiry respect- 
ing the time of the restoration of the king- 
dom to Israel — that Christ is to come to set 
up his kingdom at the conclusion of the reign 
of the Roman monarchy, which still contin- 
ues — and that the New Testament represen- 
tation is, that he is waiting for, and not 
reigning m, his kingdom — must go very far 
towards proving that the prophecy pointed to 
a personal coming. 

Further, the idea of a spiritual coming of 
Christ, when an absolute coming is intended, 
has no foundation. A spiritual coming evi- 
dently supposes a spiritual absence, which is 
contrary to fact. Spiritually, the Lord Jesus 
has been with his saints from the beginning. 
He promised to be with his ministers to the 
end of the world. See Matt, xxviii. 20. In a 
similar manner is he with all his saints. John 
xiv. And since, in this sense, he is and has 
been with his people, and since in the proph- 
ecy an absolute coming to take the kingdom, 
is predicted, it is in the highest degree absurd 
to talk of a spiritual coming. This all must 
see and admit. 

Another consideration will place this matter 



20 

in a still stronger light The part of the 
prophecy that has received its fulfilment, has 
had an exact literal fulfilment. The crown 
was literally taken away, the kingdom liter- 
ally overturned and subverted, and literally ', 
for ages, it has not been. Why, then, let 
me inquire, should we expect the other 
part — by far the more important and interest- 
ing part — to have any other than a literal 
fulfilment? How, in reason, can we look for 
any other than a literal coming, for a literal 
personal reign? Can we believe that proph- 
ecy has such a mixed and confused character 
as this? Such a thought does violence to 
that portion of the Bible, violence to reason, 
and is fraught with scepticism. 

Again — A passage in Peter's address, given 
in the temple, soon after Pentecost, must be 
deemed sufficient to settle this question. After 
turning their attention to the fearful nature 
of their guilt, he thus exhorts the Jews : 
" Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that 
your sins may be blotted out, when the times 
of refreshing shall come from the presence of 
the Lord.'' To encourage them, and to 
correct their ideas of the order of events, he 
immediately adds: "And he shall send 
Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto 
you ; whom the heaven must receive until 
the times of restitution of all things, which 
God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy 
prophets since the world began." Acts. hi. 
19 — 21. Three things, in the light of this pas- 



21 

sage, must be plain. 1. That if all things, 
spoken by God through the prophets, are to 
be restored, the kingdom of Israel is one of 
them. 2. That the restoration of this and 
the other things, is to be effected by sending 
Jesus Christ. 3. That, until the time of this 
restoration, the heaven is to receive him. If 
this language does not prove, beyond all dis- 
pute, a personal coming, for the restoration of 
the kingdom of Israel, it is not in the power 
of language to do it. And if it does not, 
with equal conclusiveness, prove that he did 
not come at the destruction of Jerusalem, or 
at any other period since, we should despair 
of seeing anything proved by the most direct 
testimony. The heaven was to receive him 
until the times of restitution, and no longer. 
Has he ceased to be a resident of heaven? 
There can be but one answer. And what 
has been restored of the u all things" spoken 
by the mouth of the prophets 1 Nothing. 
All is yet waste, and desolate, and in the hands 
of enemies. Christ, then, has not been sent ; 
the heaven yet is his residence. But that 
same heaven that now entertains him, and is 
filled with his glory, is to yield him up, no 
more to receive him. For his tabernacle 
shall be with men, and he shall dwell with 
them, and they shall be his people, and he 
shall be with them and be their God and 
King. 

We are, then, to expect that he will come 
personally, according to the import of the 



22 

prophecy, to take the kingdom of Israel, for 
so long a period broken and prostrate, and 
reign as a literal king. If he is to come per- 
sonally, as has been fully demonstrated, all 
will allow that he is to have a personal 
reign. 

But one other thought, contained in the 
text, will strengthen the argument. It is the 
literal kingdom that he is to receive, that is 
his by right, and which is to be no more 
until he comes. This being so, it would be 
the height of unreasonableness to suppose, 
that there would be any other than a literal 
and personal reign. 

But there are additional proofs of the 
personal reign of Christ on earth. 

2. The concurrent testimony of Scripture is 
abundant and explicit, touching this point. 
Only a few of the more direct and decisive 
passages can be cited in this discourse. 
" There shall come a star out of Jacob, and 
a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall 
smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all 
the children of Sheth. Out of Jacob shall 
come he that shall have dominion, and shall 
destroy him that remaineth of the city.'' 
Numb. xxiv. 17, 19. " The adversaries of the 
Lord shall be broken to pieces : out of heaven 
shall he thunder upon them ; the Lord shall 
judge the ends of the earth: and he shall 
give strength unto his King, and exalt the 
horn of his Anointed." 1 Sam. ii. 10. 
Though the heathen and the other wicked, 



23 

with their kings and rulers, combine to pre- 
vent his reign, it is said, in the second Psalm, 
" Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill 
of Zion.' 7 "He shall have dominion also 
from sea to sea, and from the river unto the 
ends of the earth." Ps. Ixxii. 8. Zach. ix. 10. 
"Once have I sworn by my holiness that 
I will not lie unto David. His seed shall 
endure forever, and his throne as the sun 
before me. It shall be established forever 
as the moon, and as a faithful witness in 
heaven. 77 Ps. lxxxix. 35 — 37. This is the same 
throne that was overthrown in the days of 
Zedekiah, and which was not to be re-estab- 
lished until Christ should come. " Then 
shall the moon be confounded, and the sun 
ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign 
in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem^ and before 
his ancients gloriously. 77 Isa. xxiv. 23. u For 
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given, and the government shall be upon his 
shoulder ; and his name shall be called Won- 
derful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The 
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of 
the increase of his government and peace, 
there shall be no end, upon the throne of 
David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and 
to establish it with judgment and with jus- 
tice, from henceforth even forever. The zeal 
of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 77 
Isa. ix 6, 7. " And, behold, thou shalt con- 
ceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, 
and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be 



24 

great, and shall be called the Son of the 
Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto 

HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID : AND HE 
SHALL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER ; 

and of his kingdom there shall be no end." 
Luke i. 31 — 33. " I saw in the night visions, 
and, behold, one like the Son of man came 
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the 
Ancient of days, and they brought him near 
before him. And there was given him do- 
minion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all 
people, nations, and languages should serve 
him : his dominion is an everlasting domin- 
ion, which shall not pass away, and his 
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." 
Dan. vii. 13, 14. "And the seventh angel 
sounded ; and there were great voices in hea- 
ven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are 
become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 
Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." 
Rev. xi. 15. "Therefore, being a prophet, 
and knowing that God had sworn with an 
oath to him, (David,) that of the fruit of his 
loins, according to the flesh, he would raise 
up Christ to sit on his throne." Acts ii. 30. 
None can be so blind as not to see that 
four points, at least, are fully established by 
this testimony. 1. That Christ should reign. 
2. That he should reign on the throne of 
David, in Mount Zion. 3. That his domin- 
ion should be over the whole earth. 4. That 
his kingdom shall be endless. These being 
settled, the notion of a spiritual reign must 



25 

be regarded as a delusion. A personal reign 
only can fulfil the prophetic representations 
and averments relating to his reign. To 
speak of his reigning spiritually on the throne 
of David, in Mount Zion, and exercising do- 
minion over the whole earth, and at the same 
time to be in heaven in person, is to speak 
too absurdly to be heeded. The Scripture 
does not so use language, to confuse and 
mislead. And it seems that it need not be 
inquired, whether such a reign as the plain 
letter of the prophecy leads us to expect, has 
commenced? Facts teach us too plainly the 
contrary, to allow such an inquiry. All must 
know that it is far otherwise. But if there 
were a doubt as to this matter, a resort to the 
Bible would soon remove it. The present 
position of the Saviour in the universe, the 
office he now fills, and the position he is to oc- 
cupy, are there clearly defined. One passage 
will impart much light on these points. "To 
him that overcometh, will I grant to sit ivith 
me in my throne, even as I also overcame, 
and am set down with my Father in his 
throne." Rev. iii. 21. He then is on his Fa- 
ther's throne ; his own is in prospect. And 
this, with great uniformity, is the testimony 
of the whole New Testament. Peter quotes 
from Psalms to prove that he is at the right 
hand of God, waiting till his enemies be made 
his footstool. Acts ii. 34, 35. He says, Acts 
iii. 20, 21, that he is in heaven, to remain 
until the times of restitution. Stephen saw 
3 



26 

him, just before his martyrdom, standing 
on the right hand of God. Acts vii. 55. 
Paul testifies, that, after God raised him from 
the dead, he " set him at his own right hand 
in the heavenly places, far above all princi- 
pality, and power, and might, and dominion, 
and every name that is named, not only in 
this world, but also in that which is to come, 
and hath put all things under his feet." Eph. 
i. 20—22. He says farther, Heb. x. 12, 13, 
that he is "on the right hand of God, from 
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made 
his footstool." And much of the argument, 
in the epistle to the Hebrews, goes to show- 
that he is now officiating in the character of 
a priest. So it is most evident that he has 
not now his own kingdom; that he will not 
have it until the close of probation, as he is 
to officiate as priest until that time ; and that 
he is now connected with his Father's king- 
dom. And, sustaining this connection with 
his Father's kingdom, it is plain to be seen 
what kingdom he is to give up, and what 
throne to abdicate, at his coming, according 
to 1 Cor. xv. 24 This passage has been a 
source of great perplexity to many minds, but 
this view makes it plain and intelligible. 
His own kingdom is not to be delivered up, 
because the prophecy declares that it shall be 
eternal. God, in addressing the Son, thus 
declares the eternity of his throne: "Thy 
throne, O God, is forever and ever : a sceptre 
of righteousness is the sceptre of thy king- 



27 

dom." Heb. i. 8. The only kingdom, there- 
fore, he can deliver up, or throne he can ab- 
dicate, is that of his Father, with which he is 
now connected. 

If, theiij as this testimony fully proves, the 
Messiah is now on his Father's throne — that 
his own is in prospect — that that is the throne 
of David in this world — that when it is re- 
established, the saints will be permitted to sit 
with him in it, — who can believe in any 
other than a personal reign ? It is difficult 
to see who can. 

3. Analogy furnishes a strong and unan- 
swerable argument in favor of a personal 
reign. All the prophecies, relating to the 
Messiah, may properly be divided into three 
classes. These classes apply to his three 
offices, of Prophet, Priest, and King. These 
offices pertain to this world. The nature 
of them required that they should be sus- 
tained successively. They could not be held 
at one and the same time. The prophe- 
cies relating to the first twe, have been lite- 
rally fulfilled. There has not been, as it 
respects the prophetical and priestly offices, 
the slightest departure from the letter of the 
prediction. Christ has appeared, in con- 
formity with the letter of prophecy, and for 
its fulfilment, as a literal prophet and priest. 
And does not analogy demand, strongly de- 
mand, that he shall come, as the plain lan- 
guage of the prophecy shows he will, as a 
literal King? A man would be held a strange 



28 

prophetical expositor, who should maintain a 
literal fulfilment in the first two cases, and a 
spiritual fulfilment in the last ! This can 
find a parallel only in the popular view re- 
specting the restoration of the Jews. It is 
held that the Jews are to be literally restored, 
and, at the same time, it is maintained that 
the kingdom of Israel is only to be spiritually 
restored ! There is to be a literal restoration 
of the subjects, but only a spiritual restora- 
tion of the kingship ! To such absurdities 
and inconsistencies do false rules of inter- 
pretation conduct us. 

4. To commence a reign, presupposes that 
there was a time when it was not in being. 
The prophecies fix the period of Christ's 
reign, as has already appeared, at a point yet 
future. But he has all along reigned spirit- 
ually, as all admit : a spiritual reign, there- 
fore, cannot be intended. All must see the 
force of this reasoning. If Christ has ever 
been reigning spiritually in the hearts of his 
people, and the prophecies all point to a fu- 
ture reign, as they evidently do, a different 
and more important reign must be expected; 
and what can that be but a personal reign ? 

5. His reign, in the Scriptures, is connect- 
ed with events such as can take place only 
at his personal coming. These events are, 
the resurrection, judgment, destruction of the 
entire wicked, the conflagration of the world, 
and the new creation. All who believe in 
these events, believe they are to transpire 



29 

when Christ shall come personally. If, there- 
fore, it can be made to appear that the com- 
mencement of his reign is associated with 
these events, it will become evident that it 
will begin at his personal coming ; and must, 
consequently, be a personal reign. As this 
subject will come up again, under another 
head, I shall not here present but a passage 
or two showing this connection. And, since 
most believe that the events are so bound to- 
gether as to occur at the same general period, 
if it can be shown that the reign of Christ is 
connected with any one or two of them, it 
will answer every purpose in this part of the 
discourse. Paul connects it with the judg- 
ment and resurrection, in his 2d epistle to 
Timothy. " I charge thee before God, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the 
quick and the dead at his appearing and his 
kingdom" 2 Tim. iv. 1. A connection is 
clearly shown in the Apocalypse. " And the 
seventh angel sounded ; and there were great 
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of 
this world are become the kingdoms of our 
Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign 
forever and ever." And, at the same time, it 
is added by the elders in heaven, — " And the 
nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, 
and the time of the dead that they should be 
judged, and that thou shouldest give reward 
unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the 
saints, and them that fear thy name,, small 
and great ; and shouldest destroy them which 
3* 



30 

destroy the earth." Rev. xi. 15, 18. In this 
passage, the connection is very plain between 
the reign of Christ and the resurrection, the 
judgment, and the destruction of the wicked. 
From both texts, and others that will here- 
after be introduced, it must be evident that 
Christ's coming to judgment is his coming to 
reign : if so, a personal reign, and no other, 
is to be locked for. We have, therefore, as 
solid a basis for the belief of a personal reign, 
as for a personal coming, or the events of the 
resurrection and judgment. To deny the 
one, is really to deny the other. The events 
are connected, and they must occur, or fail, 
together. If they fail, the hopes of the saints 
are fated to be wrecked and disappointed for- 
ever ! 

If time allowed, we might still fortify our 
position by referring to the faith, and hopes, 
and ardent anticipations of the pious world, 
from the earliest periods. We might allude 
to the belief and expectations of Abraham, 
Job, Daniel; the united faith of the Jews; 
the harmonious testimony of the early 
church ; the views of the Reformers ; the 
sentiments of the highest ornaments of the 
English pulpit; the creeds of most of the 
sects ; and the songs that are chanted in 
almost every sanctuary. We might present 
the views of some of the most learned and 
pious divines of our own country ; and dwell 
upon the evidences that the notion of a spir- 
itual reign is fast being abandoned in all 



31 

branches of the church. We might show 
that the doctrine of a spiritual reign was a 
legitimate offspring of papacy ; that the 
popes concluded to let Christ reign spiritually 
if they might but reign personally ; that they 
devised a plan of having a millennium with- 
out putting the Lord to any trouble about it; 
— and that just so far as the church, in any 
age, has acquired a standing, and influence, 
and honor in the world, has she lost sight of 
the great and precious doctrine of the per- 
sonal reign of Christ. But I have not time 
to dwell on these points. It is not necessary. 
The Bible evidence is overwhelming. Christ 
shall come personally to take the kingdom, 
for to him, by right, it belongs. 

"Come then, and, added to thy many crowns, 
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth, 
Thou who alone art worthy! it was thine 
By ancient covenant, ere nature's birth, 
And thou hast made it thine by purchase since, 
And overpaid its value with thy blood. 
Thy saints proclaim thee King j and in their hearts 
Thy title is engraven with a pen 
Dipt in the fountain of eternal love. 
Thy saints proclaim thee King; and thy delay 
Gives courage to their foes, who, could they see 
The dawn of thy last advent, long desired, 
Would creep into the bowels of the hills, 
And flee for safety to the falling rocks." 

II. The identity of the Millennium with 
that reign. 

The church has, in all time, been expect- 
ing, confidently expecting, a period of exalted 



32 

bliss, purity, and joy. For this expectation, 
the best of grounds can be shown. It was 
announced in Eden ; promised to patriarchs ; 
sung by holy bards of old ; foretold by all the 
prophets : taught by the Saviour ; proclaimed 
by the apostles ; believed by all the faithful. 
The promise and the prospect of that state 
have cheered, encouraged, and nerved to no- 
bler deeds, the saints in all ages. It was the 
favorite theme of prophets. Their clear and 
far-reaching vision was filled with the bright 
glories of that day of holy joy and triumph. 
The dawnings of that day, all have longed to 
see. Many a heart, in its fulness, has said, — 

" Haste, then, and wheel away a shattered world, 
Ye slow revolving seasons ! We would see 
(A sight to which our eyes are strangers yet) 
A world that does not dread and hate his laws, 
And suffer for its crime ; would learn how fair 
The creature is that God pronounces good ; 
How pleasant in itself, what pleases him." 

But, though the expectation of this state has 
been universal, the same place has not been 
assigned for it by all in the field of prophecy, 
nor the same views taken of its character. 
The period is believed in, but it is differently 
arranged in the order of future events. This 
different arrangement gives rise to the differ- 
ent views as to the character of the period. 
A portion of the church put the period before, 
and another portion after, the personal com- 
ing of Christ. If it is to be before such com- 
ing, it must be in a mortal state, comprising 



33 

more or less the evils of the curse ; if after, it 
will be in the immortal state, entirely freed 
from those evils. The latter is our view. The 
former, all must allow, who have been at all 
familiar with the opinions of the church, to 
be quite a modern notion, especially among 
evangelical Christians. It cannot claim any 
respect on account of its antiquity. We will 
test it, and see what claims it has to regard 
and favor. The question, therefore, now is, 
whether the millennium is identified with the 
personal reign of Christ, or is to precede it? 

And it does seem that the settlement of the 
question of a personal reign, must be deemed 
a settlement of this point. If Christ is to reign 
personally on earth, that, evidently, must be 
the millennium. Or is there to be a millen- 
nium, to be succeeded by a personal reign? 
This would be like having day before the 
appearing of the sun ! like having the bloom 
and glory of spring amid the chills and 
frosts of winter ! This is too absurd to be 
thought of. The whole question turns on 
the character of the anticipated reign. If that 
reign is to be personal, all must admit that 
there can be no millennium until its com- 
mencement. The Bible has so connected the 
two, in its plainest descriptions, as to leave 
no room for doubt. And as a personal reign 
has been proved, from the Scriptures, the 
point is, in fact, already established. But as 
other proofs may be furnished, proofs of a 
most decisive character, it may be proper to 



34 

present them, that the question maybe placed 
beyond the limits of rational dispute. 

1. The text itself, in the light of the expla- 
nation given, affords the strongest proof that 
there will be no millennium before the per- 
sonal reign of Christ. The kingdom, whose 
destiny it pronounces, is to lie in ruins, until 
he comes to receive it. Surelv. there will be 
no millennium until its restoration ! 

2. The connection in prophecy between 
that reign and the millennial state, must 
prove the identity of the two, beyond dispute. 
I need present but a passage or two to show 
this connection, since it can hardly be ques- 
tioned, so often is it presented on the pages 
of prophecy. ' ' In his days shall the righteous 
flourish ; and abundance of peace so long as 
the moon endureth. He shall have dominion 
from sea to sea, and from the river unto the 
ends of the earth." Ps. lxxii. 8. After the 
destruction of the fourth kingdom of Daniel, 
it is said, — -'And the kingdom and dominion, 
and the greatness of the kingdom under the 
whole heaven, shall be given to the people 
of the saints of the Most High, whose king- 
dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all 
dominions shall serve and obey him." Dan. 
vii. 27. Previous to this possession of the 
kingdom, it is said that the saints are to be 
subject to, and oppressed by, earthly powers. 
So there can be no millennium till the time 
of possessing the kingdom. Zechariah thus 
shows the connection : "And the Lord shall 



35 

be king over all the earth ; in that day there 
shall be one Lord, and his name one. All 
the land shall be turned as a plain. And men 
shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more 
utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be 
safely inhabited. ' ' Chap, xi v. 9 — 1 1 . These 
passages show the general character of the 
prophecy, pertaining to the connection be- 
tween Christ's reign and the millennial state. 
All must see their identity. 

3. There can be no millennium antecedent 
to the personal reign of Christ, because the 
whole space of time to this period is given to 
earthly kingdoms. The little horn, the last 
form of the last kingdom, is to "make war 
with the saints and prevail against them, 
until the Ancient of days comes, and the 
time comes for the saints to possess the king- 
dom." See Daniel vii. This all must allow 
to be the same power as Paul's Man of Sin, 
that is to be destroyed by the brightness of 
Christ's coming. 2 Thess. ii. 8. Surely that 
millennium would not be of much worth, in 
which this little horn would be universally 
pushing, and over which would preside the 
Man of Sin ! I desire not such a state. But 
this power is to prevail and prosper, until the 
Ancient of days comes to destroy it. Prior to 
that, there can be no millennium. 

4. The parable of the tares, as given by 
the Saviour, furnishes a strong argument in 
favor of our position. As we have the 
Lord's exposition of it, we can safely depend 



36 

upon it. The design of the parable obviously 
is, to show the fact, and the reason of it, that 
the righteous and wicked are destined to dwell 
together until the close of probation. u Let 
both grow together until harvest; the harvest 
is the end of the world." At that time the 
separation will take place, and each class be 
conveyed to their respective places of reward. 
After that, the righteous are to shine forth as 
the sun in the kingdom of their Father. See 
Matt. xiii. 40 — 43. There is, then, no place 
for a millennium between the point of time 
at which the Lord uttered the parable, to the 
end of the world, or the time of harvest. 
During all that space, he has declared that 
the righteous and wicked shall flourish to- 
gether in the same field. 

5. The parable of the ten virgins furnishes 
evidence equally decisive in support of the 
view taken. This parable, without doubt, is 
intended to teach that the church, half of 
whom at least will possess no grace, will be 
in a state of spiritual sleep until the announce- 
ment is made, that the Bridegroom csmeth. 
But who can believe that this will be the 
character of the inhabitants of the millen- 
nium ! If Christ does not come until after 
the millennium, this must be their character ! 
It will be a millennium, then, of spiritual 
sleepers, and graceless professors ! 

6. The duty to watch for his coming, so 
often enjoined, is inconsistent with the idea of 
a millennium before Christ's coming to reign. 



37 

For a thousand years, there could be no 
watching, either for the signs, or the event 
itself. There will be no ground to expect a 
sudden or unexpected manifestation of the 
Saviour, in that period. 

7. A millennium to precede the personal 
reign of Christ, would be in a state of trial 
without the essentials of such a state. A 
state of trial is a state in which moral charac- 
ter is formed, and destiny is chosen. Among 
the essentials of such a state, are, freedom, 
temptation to wrong, inducement to right, or 
counter moral influences. Without these, it 
would be difficult to conceive of a state of 
trial. In the millennial state these can have 
no place, or at least some of them. There 
will there be no Satan to tempt, no world to 
overcome, no carnal nature to subdue, no 
wicked to annoy, no adverse influences to 
oppose, no sinful examples to influence, no 
trials to perplex, and no dangers to gather 
upon the path. All, all, in that state will be 
on the side of virtue, religion, and the highest 
enjoyment. Such a state cannot comprise 
the essentials of a state of probation. And yet 
it must be so, if it is before the coming of 
Christ. This must show the absurdity of 
such a view. 

8. It is highly absurd to expect such a state 
as the Bible describes the millennium to be, in 
the earth, under the curse, with all incident to 
it. A quotation or two will show this. I will 
quote from the millennial chapter, the sixtieth 

4 



38 

of Isaiah. " Violence shall no more be heard 
in thy land, wasting nor destruction within 
thy borders; but thou shall call thy walls 
Salvation and thy gates Praise. The sun 
shall be no more thy light by day; neither for 
brightness shall the moon give light unto 
thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an 
everlasting light, and thy God thy glory; thy 
sun shall no more go down ; neither shall thy 
moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be 
thine everlasting light, and the days of thy 
mourning shall be ended. Thy people also 
shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the 
land forever, the branch of my planting, the 
work of my hands, that I may be glorified." 
This is almost precisely the same language 
that is employed in the twenty-first of Reve- 
lation, to describe what is conceded to be the 
immortal state. So similar is the language, 
that we cannot avoid the conclusion that it 
was borrowed from Isaiah. The same state 
must be referred to by both. It must be 
plain to all that Isaiah's language cannot be 
applied to the earth, in its present disordered 
and wretched state. If all violence, wasting, 
and destruction are to cease ; if all mourning 
and sorrow are to have an end ; if the sun and 
moon will no more be needed, on account of 
God's presence and glory; and if all are to be 
righteous and inherit the land forever ; it can- 
not be in this world, under the curse, or even in 
a mortal state. We must rather look for it in 
the immortal state, under the reign of Christ. 



39 

9. The millennium is to be in the New 
Earth, and therefore will be identical with 
the reign of Christ. The Bible becomes 
more and more clear and definite in its in- 
structions, as it advances towards its comple- 
tion. The New Testament throws much 
light upon, and gives proper order to, the 
events predicted in the Old. Peter, in treat- 
ing, in his last epistle, on the coming of 
Christ, and the events to succeed, has given 
us the order in which some of the more im- 
portant prophetic events are to take place. 
After speaking of the conflagration of the 
present heavens and earth, he says, — " Nev- 
ertheless, we, according to his promise, look 
for new heavens and a new earth, wherein 
dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter hi. 13. 
There is but one promise of this kind in the 
whole Bible, and that is found in Isaiah. 
John, the Revelator, saw a new heaven and 
new earth; but this was after the epistle of 
Peter was written. The promise in Isaiah, 
then, must be the one intended by Peter. 
And if so, we have a strong argument against 
a millennium in a mortal state. The promise 
in Isaiah is connected with a glowing descrip- 
tion of the millennium ; but Peter makes the 
period of its fulfilment after the conflagration 
of the present heavens and earth : the millen- 
nium connected with it, or dependent upon it, 
must, therefore, be after. And this will fix 
it in the new earth. And Peter suggests the 
reason why we are not to expect such a state 



40 

until the new creation, " wherein dwelleth 
righteousness." As if he had said, that can- 
not be expected in the present world. Why, 
then, not believe that he has given the pro- 
phetic events their true order? Why expect 
that here, which God has not promised; 
which cannot be ? 

10. A millennium before the resurrection, 
would exclude those from it wlio have the 
strongest claims to its enjoyment. Who 
should share in the bliss, and joy, and 
triumph of that state, if not Abraham, Moses, 
David, Daniel, Paul, the martyrs, those who 
have suffered and sacrificed the most for 
truth and Christ? How marvellous, that 
those should have an exclusive right to that 
season of rejoicing and holy triumph, who 
shall come on to the stage just at the dawn 
of that day, without having suffered any- 
thing, sacrificed anything, or done anything 
for Christianity? And, stranger still, that 
they should have a thousand years' jubilee 
over the graves of patriarchs, prophets, apos- 
tles, and martyrs ! I cannot admit such a 
thought. It is inconsistent, irrational, absurd, 
and even revolting. Let the thought utterly 
perish ! God's ways are not thus unequal 
So far from this being true, it is expressly 
declared, that such shall have "part in the first 
resurrection, and reign with Christ a thou- 
sand years ." Rev. xx. 4. This clearly iden- 
tifies the reign of Christ with the millennium. 

11. The voice of the Christian church is 



41 

in favor of the identity of the millennium 
with the personal reign of Christ. To in- 
troduce any considerable part of the testi- 
mony that is at hand in proof of this, is 
not possible in this discourse. I can only 
present a few passages from the writings 
of different authors, which will exhibit the 
sentiments of the whole. Justyn Martyr, 
who flourished about thirty years after the 
death of the apostle John, thus testifies: 
1 'I, and as many as are orthodox Chris- 
tians in all respects, do acknowledge, that 
there shall be a resurrection of the flesh, 
and a thousand years in Jerusalem, rebuilt, 
and adorned, and enlarged, as the prophets 
Ezekiel and Isaiah and others, attest ! " — 
[Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew.] — The testi- 
mony of Ireneeus is equally full and explicit 
with that of Justyn. He succeeded Pothinus 
as Bishop of Lyons, about A. D. 171, and 
was martyred in A. D. 202 or 208. He 
wrote, among other works, five books upon 
the Heresies of his times, which books are 
still extant. He speaks of St. John, the apos- 
tle, as having lived to the times of Trajan, 
of Polycarp, as a hearer of St. John, and of 
himself as a hearer of Polycarp. u For it is 
fitting that the just, rising at the appearing 
of God, should in the renewed state receive 
the promise of inheritance which God cove- 
nanted to the fathers^ and should reig?i in it; 
and that then should come the final judg- 
ment. For in the same condition in which 
4# 



42 

they have labored and been afflicted, and 
been tried by suffering in all sorts of ways, it 
is but just that in it they should receive the 
fruits of their suffering; so that where, for the 
love of God, they suffered death, there they 
should be brought to life again ; and where 
they endured bondage, there also they should 
reign. For God is rich in all things, and all 
things are of him ; and therefore I say it is 
becoming, that the creature being restored to 
its original beauty, should, without any im- 
pediment or drawback, be subject to the 
righteous. This the apostle makes manifest 
in the epistle to the Romans : ' For the ex- 
pectation of the creature waiteth for the 
manifestation of the sons of God, &c. For the 
creature itself also shall be delivered from 
the bondage of corruption into the glorious 
liberty of the children of God.' The prom- 
ise likewise of God which he made to Abra- 
ham decidedly confirms this; for he says, 
' Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the 
place where thou art, northward, and south- 
ward, and eastward, and westward; for all 
the land which thou seest, to thee will I give 
it, and to thy seed forever.' Gen. xiii. 14, 
15. And again, 'Arise, walk through the 
land in the length of it, and in the breadth 
of it, for I will give it unto thee!' Ver. 17. 
For Abraham received no inheritance in it, — 
not even a foot- breadth, but always was a 
stranger and a sojourner in it. And when 
Sarah, his wife, died, and the children of 



43 

Heth offered to give him a piece of land 
for a burial place, he would not accept it, but 
purchased it, for four hundred pieces of sil- 
ver, from Ephron, the son of Zohar the 
Hittite ; staying himself on the promise of 
God, and being unwilling to seem to accept 
from man what God had promised to give 
him, saying to him, c To thy seed will I give 
this land, from the great river of Egypt to 
the great river Euphrates.' Thus, therefore, 
as God promised to him the inheritance of 
the earth, and he received it not during the 
whole time he lived in it, it is necessary that 
he should receive it, together with his seed, 
that is, with such of them as fear God. and 
believe in him — in the resurrection of the 
justP Irenseus then goes on to show that 
Christ and the church are also of the true 
seed, and partakers of the promises, and con- 
cludes the chapter as follows : " Thus, there- 
fore, those who are of faith are blessed with 
faithful Abraham; and the same are the 
children of Abraham. For God repeatedly 
promised the inheritance of the land to Abra- 
ham and his seed ; and as neither Abraham 
nor his seed — that is, not those who are justi- 
fied by faith — have enjoyed any inheritance 
in it, they will undoubtedly receive it at the 
resurrection of the just. For true and un- 
changeable is God : wherefore, also, he said, 
1 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit 
the earth. 5 "* 

* Literalist, vol. IV., pp. 39—41. 



44 

The Nicene Council, convened in the year 
325, composed of three hundred and eighteen 
Bishops, and representing the whole Christian 
church, put forth the following as an article 
of their faith : " The world was made infe- 
rior because of fore-knowledge : for God fore- 
knew that man would sin. Therefore, we 
expect New Heavens and a New Earth, ac- 
cording to the holy Scriptures ; the Epiphany 
and kingdom of the Great God and our 
Saviour Jesus Christ, being then manifested 
to us. And as Daniel says, the saints of the 
Most High shall take the kingdom. And the 
earth shall be pure and holy, — the land of 
the living and not of the dead." 

As holding these views, we might give 
a list of such venerable names as Barna- 
bas, Papias, Polycarp, St. Clement of Rome, 
Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria. St. Cyprian, 
St. Cyril, Tertullian, Methodius, Epiphanius, 
and many others in the early church; and, 
in the reformed church, such as Luther, 
Calvin, Tyndel, Mede, Bunyan, Dr. Gill, 
Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Newton, Top- 
lady, Wesley, Fletcher, Pirie, Cunninghame, 
Way, Hugh M'Neile, Croly, Burnet, and a 
host of others, that time would fail to men- 
tion. In fact, a careful examination of the 
views of the church since the apostles, 
must result in the conviction that the per- 
sonal reign of Christ and the millennium 
were held to be identical, with great una- 
nimity. Those views have not always been 
free from vagueness or grossness, but in the 



45 



main they have accorded with the views here 
advanced. We may safely say, that the 
church, in her purest and best days, has cher- 
ished no other views, nor has she had any 
other expectation. The purer she has been, 
the freer from ambition for worldly distinc- 
tion, honor, and applause, the less lustful for 
secular power and control ; the more clear, 
strong, and decisive has been her testimony on 
this subject. And having the plainest and 
most direct declarations of Scripture, and the 
voice of the church with us, what additional 
testimony is needed ? We shall seek for no 
other. We consider that the doctrine of the 
identity of the personal reign and the millen- 
nium is based on so immovable a basis as 
not to be shaken. It will stand when the 
modern dream of a spiritual millennial reign 
shall pass away and be forgotten. 



-" So shall the world go on. 



To good malignant, to bad men benign, 

Under her own weight groaning ; till the day 

Appear of respiration to the just 

And vengeance to the wicked ; at return 

Of him — thy Saviour and thy Lord ; 

Last in the clouds from heaven, to be revealed 

In glory of the Father, to dissolve 

Satan, with his perverted world ; then raise 

From the conflagrant mass, purged and refined, 

New heavens, new earth, ages of endless date, 

Founded in righteousness, and peace and love, 

To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss." 

Melton. 

III. The preparatory events of that reign. 

These events have been more than hinted 



46 

at in the previous remarks. They cannot well 
be mistaken in the light of the personal reign 
of Christ. If he is to reign personally, he is 
to come personally ; and, therefore, the events 
connected in Scripture with his coming, must 
be preparatory to his reign. And none can 
be mistaken as to these events. Those who 
believe in a personal coming, cannot be slow 
to believe that all the events associated in 
the Bible with that coming, will then take 
place. The Bible does not encourage us to 
expect but one more coming. It shows what 
will then take place. If, therefore, that last 
and final coming be to reign, all that will 
then occur will be preparatory to that reign. 
Having already proved, as we think satis- 
factorily, that the coming to be expected is 
to introduce a personal and endless reign, we 
need do little more than specify these events. 
And one of these surely cannot be the res- 
toration of the natural Jews. This is a fa- 
vorite idea, a brilliant fancy, with many in 
these days. But the notion is too gross, too 
low, too repugnant to the Christian scheme, 
too contrary to the genius of the gospel, and 
too sensual in its tendency, to be regarded 
with favor by those whose vision of the true 
reign of the Messiah is clear and unclouded. 
The limits of this discourse will not admit 
of anything like an extended discussion of 
this subject. A passage or two, directly in 
point, must suffice. The prophecy consti- 
tuting the text affords the most indisputable 



47 

proof that there can be no restoration of the 
natural Jews before the coming of Christ, 
Their kingdom is to remain broken and pros- 
trate until that time. There can, then, be 
no restoration in advance of that period. 
This is settled. And the apostle Peter, in 
addressing the Jews, a few days after Pen- 
tecost, presents to them the condition upon 
which they shall be entitled to share in the 
restoration when Christ comes. " Repent 
ye therefore, and be converted, that your 
sins may be blotted out, when the times of 
refreshing shall come from the presence of 
the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, 
who before was preached unto you : whom 
the heavens must receive until the times of 
restitution of all things, which God hath 
spoken by the mouth of all his holy proph- 
ets since the world began. 7 ' Acts iii. 19 — 21. 
Here we have the promise that Christ shall 
come to effect the restoration of the things 
spoken by the prophets, among which is the 
kingdom of Israel; and the condition upon 
which the Jews can share in it. The condi- 
tion is repentance, not at, but before, the 
coming of Christ. When he comes he is to 
take " vengeance on them that know not God, 
and that obey not the gospel" 2 Thess. i. 8. 
All unbelieving Jews, at his coming, will be 
of the latter class : they will not obey the 
gospel, the first precept of which requires 
faith in Christ. So it is plain, from the two 
scriptures, that the natural Jews are not to 



48 

be restored before, or after, the coming of 
Christ. The kingdom to be restored, will 
be a holy kingdom, and none but holy per- 
sons will be subjects of it. Ail readers of 
the Bible should carefully distinguish be- 
tween the conditional promises made to the 
natural, and the unconditional promises made 
to the spiritual Israel. For want of this dis- 
tinction, many have erred, and persist in 
their error. 

The destruction, and not the conversion 
of the wicked of the world, will be prepara- 
tory to that reign. This must follow as a 
certain consequence from a personal coming 
of Christ. That coming is everywhere rep- 
resented, in the Scripture, as intended to 
close probation, and seal the fate of the 
world. It will be a judicial, and not a mer- 
ciful coming — a coming as a Judge, and not 
as a Saviour — a coming in robes of ven- 
geance, and not in those of salvation — a 
coming to destroy, and not to save the wicked. 
This is the uniform representation of Scrip- 
ture. But we have express and multiplied 
declarations on the inspired pages, that, as 
preparatory to the reign of Christ, the wick- 
ed shall be destroyed. We can cite but few 
at these. " There shall come a star out of 
Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, 
and shall smite the corners of Moab, and de- 
stroy all the children of Sheth. Out of Jacob 
shall come he that shall have dominion, and 
shall destroy him that remaineth of the city." 



49 

Soon after, it is added by the prophet, — 
" Alas, who shall live when God doeth this !" 
Numbers xxiv. 17, 19, 23. " Yet have I set 
my king upon my holy hill of Zion." [This 
God says he will do, though the heathen and 
people, with their kings and rulers, conspire 
together to prevent it.] u Ask of me, and I 
shall give thee the heathen for thine inheri- 
tance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for 
thy possession" [all that oppose his reign.] 
4 ' Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron ; 
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's 
vessel" Ps. ii. 6, 8, 9. " And it shall come ta 
pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish 
the host of the high ones that are on high, 
and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 
And they shall be gathered together as pris- 
oners are gathered in the pit, and shall be 
shut up in the prison, and after many days 
shall they be visited. Then the moon shall 
be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when 
the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, 
and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients 
gloriously." Isaiah xxiv. 21 — 23. Christ 
says, when he returns with the kingdom, he 
will thus command respecting the opposers of 
his reign, — " But those mine enemies which 
would not that I should reign over them, 
bring hither and slay them before me." 
Luke xix. 27. At the sounding of the sev- 
enth trumpet, when the reign of Christ is in- 
troduced, it is exclaimed by the elders ii* 
heaven, — " And the nations were angry, and 
5 



50 

thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead 
that they should be judged, * * * and that 
thou shouldest destroy them that destroy the 
earth" These texts, though a few of many 
touching this point, prove beyond all doubt 
that the overthrow and destruction of the 
enemies of God will be preparatory to the 
reign of Christ. I am aware that multitudes 
of good and benevolent Christians are hop- 
ing better things for the world ; are hoping 
that the promised reign will be preceded by 
the conversion, and not the destruction of 
the world. This is a good hope in itself, but 
what is its foundation ? What promise, what 
prophecy, what signs, what prospects justify 
it ? Has God so spoken ? — do the tenden- 
cies of things favor it 1 — do his providences 
indicate it ? Look at the world at this ad- 
vanced period — in this age of moral and re- 
ligious enterprise — of high zeal and glowing 
hope of success — this age of light and truth, 
and great moral and religious tendencies — 
and what is there to encourcge ? What ad- 
vances upon Satan's territory are made ? 
What conquests achieved ? Is it not a mourn- 
ful fact, that, with all these advantages, the 
church does not keep pace, in her progress, 
with the increase of the world's population ? 
No wonder that a minister of this city, in 
a recent missionary discourse, was constrain- 
ed to say, " that, at this rate, it would take 
ages on ages to convert the world. "* But 

* The Rev. Mr. Anderson. 



51 

what prospect of a better rate ? God has not 
promised it, but predicted the reverse. The 
world will wax worse and worse till Christ 
come to reign. He will find it as it was in 
the days of Noah and Lot. Then those 
shall be destroyed that destroy the earth. 

Another event will be, the resurrection of 
all who have died in faith, from the begin- 
ning of time. This event, also, as all must 
allow, is, in Scripture, connected with the per- 
sonal coming. See 1 Cor. xv. 22, 23. 1 
Thess. iv. 14 — 17. And in prophecy it is 
connected with Christ's reign. In Ezekiel 
xxxvii. 12, 13, it is said, — " Behold, O my 
people, I will open your graves, and cause 
you to come up out of your graves, and bring 
you into the land of Israel. And ye shall 
know that I am the Lord, when I have 
opened your graves, O my people, and 
brought you up out of your graves." It is 
added, Jer. xxiv. 27, "And David my servant 
shall be king over them ; and they shall have 
one Shepherd : they also shall walk in my 
judgments, and observe my statutes and do 
them. My tabernacle shall also be Avith 
them ; yea, I will be their God, and they 
shall be my people." This cannot take place 
before Christ comes ; for, 1. There is to 
be no restoration until that time. 2. By 
David, here, all understand Christ to be 
intended. 3. The tabernacle of God is not to 
be with men, until the new earth is created. 
See Rev. xxi. 3. The language, then, must 



52 

denote a literal resurrection. When Michael 
(who is Christ) stands up to reign, according 
to Daniel xii. 1, 2, the resurrection is to occur. 
"And many that sleep in the dust of the 
earth shall awake, some to everlasting 
life, and some to shame and everlasting 
contempt." Here, as in many cases in 
prophecy, two events, though to occur at 
different periods, are grouped together as 
though really connected. Subsequent revela- 
tions show their order as to time. Though 
this maybe disputed, one thing must be clear, 
and that is all that is material in this case, 
that when Christ stands up to reign, the 
resurrection will take place. This the proph- 
ecy so declares. One other quotation must 
close the proof of this point. " And I saw 
thrones, and they sat upon them, and judg- 
ment was given unto them : and I saw the 
souls of them that were beheaded for the 
witness of Jesus and for the word of God, 
and which had not worshipped the beast, 
neither his image, neither had received his 
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, 
and they lived and reigned with Christ a 
thousand years. But the rest of the dead 
lived not again until the thousand years were 
finished. This is the first resurrection. 
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the 
first resurrection ; on such the second death 
hath no power, but they shall be priests of 
God and of Christ, and shall reign with him 
a thousand years." Rev. xx. 4 — 6. No Ian- 



53 

guage could teach more plainly than this 
does, that the resurrection of the righteous 
dead will be preparatory to the reign of 
Christ. I am aware, that, to avoid our con- 
clusion, this has been called a spiritual resur- 
rection. To say nothing of the absurdity of 
such a view, let me inquire where the con- 
sistency is, in our opponents' explaining this 
language to mean a spiritual resurrection, 
and that used in the same chapter respecting 
the judgment, to mean a literal judgment? 
Why not both spiritual, if either? But we 
regard both as literal, and so, with great 
unanimity, have the whole church. 

The last event to be considered, as prepar- 
atory to the expected reign, is the renewal 
of the earth and heavens. This clearly 
follows from previous positions. It is an 
event that is associated with the coming of 
Christ, and clearly implied in the resurrec- 
tion. But positive proof is at hand. In con- 
nection with a description of the promised 
reign, and as preparatory to it, it is declared 
by Isaiah, — "The earth is utterly broken 
down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth 
is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel 
to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be 
removed like a cottage ; and the transgres- 
sion thereof shall be heavy upon it : and it 
shall fall and not rise again." Isa. xxiv. 19, 
20. " For, behold, I create new heavens, and 
a new earth; and the former shall not be 
remembered, nor come into mind." Isa. lv. 
5* 



54 

17. The apostle Peter, as we have seen in 
another place, fixes the period of the fulfil- 
ment of this promise at the coming of Christ, 
and after the conflagration of the present 
heavens and earth. 2 Peter iii. 10 — 13. As 
his reign does not begin till his coming, it 
must be a preparatory event to it. And the 
Saviour has instructed us about the state and 
place of his reign, in Matt. xix. 28. " And 
Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, 
that ye which have followed me, in the 
regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit 
in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit 
upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes 
of Israel." His reign, then, is to be in the 
regeneration, or new earth. That promised 
earth is subjected to him. Heb. ii. 5. In it. 
with all the redeemed, will he reign forever 
and ever. 

These are the more important events that 
are to precede, and prepare for, that reign. 
And are they not now upon us ? 

IV. The privileges and enjoyments of 

THAT REIGN. 

As to these, who can adequately speak — 
who can properly conceive? It is much 
easier to tell what will not be there, than 
what will So the Bible shows. Its descrip- 
tions of that state are mostly negative. 
When it touches positives, it has to be gen- 
eral. Little, then, can I say about its privi- 
leges and enjoyments. Only faint ideas can 



55 

be had. And I wish first to observe, that, to 
have any idea of that state, approaching to 
correctness, the hearer should associate with 
it, in his mind, all that he has ever conceived 
that was beautiful, lovely, blissful, and glori- 
ous in the heavenly state. That will be the 
saints' heaven ! All the beauty, glory, and 
joy, you ever thought of in connection with 
heaven, and much more, will centre there. 
The new earth will bloom with far more than 
its original freshness and loveliness. It will 
rise, purged and refined, from the conflagrant 
mass. It will be a world of immortality. 
The ills of a mortal sinful state shall be un- 
known there. All its inhabitants shall be- 
like the angels, being children of the resur- 
rection. " But they that shall be accounted 
worthy to obtain that world (the new earth) 
and the resurrection from the dead, neither 
marry, nor are given in marriage : neither can 
they die any more ; for they are equal unto 
the angels; and are the children of God, 
being the children of the resurrection/' Luke 
xx. 35, 36. Death shall have no place there 
— disease shall not riot there — pain shall 
not afflict there — separation shall not be 
known there — nor sorrow felt there. No tears 
shall fall there — no wants pinch there — no 
trials annoy there. In that world, there 
shall be no Satan to tempt — no wicked to 
molest — no fallen flesh to seduce. There, 
friends shall greet each other — there, the 
saints of all ages and climes, shall be brought 



56 

into holy familiarity and perfect communion. 
There shall be the New Jerusalem, shining 
in its refulgent glory, and there the throne of 
God and the Lamb. And there shall be the 
river of life — the tree of life, with its monthly 
fruits, to heal the nations. There, in short, 
will be Heaven ! 

" Behold the measure of the promise filled ; 

See Salem built, the labor of a God ! 

Bright as a sun the sacred city shines. 

All kingdoms, and all princes of the earth 

Flock to that light ; the glory of all lands 

Flows into her ; unbounded is her joy, 

And endless her increase— — 

Praise is in all her gates. Upon her walls, 

And in her streets, and in her spacious courts, 

Is heard salvation. * * * 

# # # Her report has travelled forth 

Into all lands. From every clime they come 

To see thy beauty, and to share thy joy, 

Oh Zion ! An assembly such as earth 

Saw never, such as heaven stoops down to see ! " 

V. The evidences that that reign is about 

TO BEGIN. 

We now come to the feature of the system 
the most serious and difficult, — the feature 
the most opposed. It may justly be called 
the offensive point. For our views of time, 
■ though candidly and honestly cherished, and, 
in most cases, modestly put forth, we have 
suffered all kinds of reproach, and have been 
most unscrupulously traduced and misrepre- 
sented. All sorts of objections are made to 
them. Our attention is frequently turned, by 



57 

our opposers, to the fearful results and tre- 
mendous evils of the system, if it shall, as 
they are confident it will, prove untrue. We 
are everywhere, and by almost all, assured, 
that the certain result will be a great increase 
of ungodliness, and a vast multiplication of 
sceptics. So common is the charge that we 
are making infidels, that it has come to be 
regarded as so evident as to need no proof. 
The charge comes from the pulpit, the press, — 
from the professor's chair, the clerical coun- 
cil, the church-member, — from the pious and 
profane. All have heard it, — all repeat it. 
It is the short argument, the all-powerful 
weapon against the system. It is deemed 
sufficient to set aside all reasoning, however 
clear, logical or cogent : to disprove all proofs, 
however direct or demonstrative ; to annihi- 
late all facts, however generally acknow- 
ledged or well attested: and to strip the most 
remarkable and ominous signs now develop- 
ing, of all their significance and import. We 
may cite, in proof of our views, and in justi- 
fication of our hopes, the prophets of the 
Old and New Testaments ; the fathers of the 
church and of the Reformation : the Protes- 
tant expositors of the Old and New World ; 
and the extraordinary signs that mark and 
identify the present period — but to no pur- 
pose. - ; It will make infidels/' is the ready 
and sufficient answer. Assuming that the 
system is false, and that consequently it will 
fail ; and assuming that its failure will greatly 



58 

increase the number of erronsts, they deem 
themselves justified in using all sorts of 
methods in opposing it. It would seem that 
the popish principle, that the end sanctifies 
the means, has come to be looked upon as a 
true principle of Christian action. Learning, 
wit, authority, traduction, misrepresentation, 
and ridicule, have done their utmost. From 
the theological professor and highest church 
dignitary, down to the obscurest country 
preacher, the system has had to suffer an 
exposure and overthrow. But it behooves 
all to look well to the grounds on which, and 
the means by which, the doctrine has been 
sought to be put down. The principles ar- 
rayed against the system, though hastily put 
forth, and advocated, to meet a specific form 
of alleged error, are not to be forgotten or 
cease to have an existence when the system 
shall have its catastrophe, as it is said it will 
shortly have. Those principles, on the sup- 
position that we fail, will work an important 
revolution in the religious and theological 
views, hopes, encouragements and prospects 
of the church. Indeed, a new era has already 
commenced in prophetic exposition and bib- 
lical interpretation. Old and long-settled 
principles have been abandoned; the most 
undisputed and generally received views 
have been relinquished ; and new views and 
principles hastily adopted, and urged with all 
the zeal and vehemence which a high deter- 
mination to accomplish an end alone could 



59 

supply. In fact, in many cases, positions of 
great and vital importance in sentiment, have 
been changed, — so that the opposers of this 
system find themselves in sweet and delight- 
ful fellowship and in the most cordial cooper- 
ation with those whom, heretofore, they have 
regarded as the most dangerous and hurtful 
errorists. And hence it behooves all to open 
their eyes, and see who are making the infi- 
dels. And more especially should they do it 
as they are confident that we shall fail, and 
time will continue, and that existing causes 
will continue to operate to make error as de- 
structive of the souls of men as it has always 
been. If our system prove true, the errors 
opposed to it will soon cease to injure and 
ruin. All the evil they will do, will be con- 
fined to those who now cherish and practise 
them. If the Lord shall soon come, their 
evil influence can be but a little longer felt. 
He will cut it short abruptly. But not so, on 
the other hypothesis. The systems now ad- 
vocated, the theories now advanced, will con- 
tinue to mould the sentiments, and shape the 
practice, and decide the doom of millions, 
while time lasts. If the errors would cease 
when the hated system should receive by 
time its explosion, as such predict it will, less 
caution would be necessary. But so they 
will not. 

I shall now present a brief statement of 
facts and evidences, to show that we are sus- 
tained in our views on this subject, by the 



60 

plain teaching of the Scriptures, and the first 
and most judicious expositors of the church ; 
and also to show that our leading opponents 
disregard that teaching, turn their backs on 
their expositors, and take positions favoring 
the three great errors — Infidelity ', Romanism, 
and Universalism. 

And I need only to allude to the views of 
but one of our opponents, as he has given 
character, shape and tone to the opposition. 
I refer to Professor Stuart, of Andover. The 
views thrown out in his " Hints," are, in 
different forms, the only ones opposed to us 
with any success. He, in the main, repre- 
sents the whole host of the opposition. To 
present his views, therefore, will, in the main, 
be furnishing those of the whole class. 

I have read the book of the Professor with 
much care and attention. I read it both 
before and since I embraced the doctrine of 
the Lord's speedy coming. The author's 
standing, the subject, a desire to furnish 
myself with something adequate to arrest 
the progress of the Second Advent heresy, 
prompted me to a first perusal. I have read 
it since, that I might be the more certain of 
the correctness of the impressions first pro- 
duced. I had long desired Stuart to speak. 
I had seen, with mortification, the utter 
futility and puerility of the attempts of 
others to put down the views. Dowling 
had written speciously, yet unfairly, and 
therefore without great effect; Smith had 



61 

written sneeringly ; Cambell feebly ; Bush 
paradoxically ; the Universalists bitterly ; all 
ineffectually. From Stuart, a different work 
was expected; a work characterized with 
such coolness and cogency of reasoning, with 
such biblical and historical research, such 
ability and learning in prophetic exposition, 
as to carry conviction to all who could be 
affected by rational means. I remember I 
felt a secret delight when the work was put 
into my hands, believing, as I did, that it 
constituted the andidote desired. But how 
different my view, after a partial examina- 
tion ! It was, indeed, learned, cool, dignified 
in its style, and excellent in some of its parts; 
but its leading positions were so startling, so 
irrational, and so fraught with sceptical con- 
sequences, and its inconsistencies were so 
marked and glaring, that I closed the book 
with shame, mortification and disgust. Verily, 
I thought the wise had become mad. I had 
not a credulity that would admit of such a 
straining as would be necessary, to adopt 
such positions. And the thought of their 
being generally adopted, was truly alarming. 
I was bound to believe, from a knowledge of 
the circumstances, that Stuart had done his 
best. He had surveyed the whole field of 
prophetic interpretation; had an accurate 
knowledge of all the theories which had 
been advanced and advocated on the subject 
of prophecy; was aware of all the efforts that 
had been made to explode the system of Mr. 
6 



62 

Miller; and had in his possession all the 
means which the learned world could fur- 
nish, for the construction of an exegetical 
work. Under such circumstances, with such 
means, and addressing himself to such a 
work, what should we expect of the ripest 
scholar of the age ? We should dishonor the 
Professor to say, that he only intended to 
make a common effort. The time, the sub- 
iect, the means, the man, all uncommon,; and 
should we expect a hasty, unmatured, by- 
the-way sort of an effort ? We should rather 
look for his ripest, best matured, and most 
fully-digested thoughts. Having the collected 
wisdom and knowledge of all that had writ- 
ten before him on the prophecies, and know- 
ing the demands of the time, we should 
expect he would bring out the most able, 
plausible and tenable system of which he 
was capable. And that he has, every one 
may be assured. He has called to his aid all 
that could give him aid; and we have the 
results in his " Hints." And what are they? 
Truth, candor, and faithfulness demand that 
I say, a compound of Papacy, Neology, and 
Universalism. This will be shown, after we 
have given a synoptical view of the books of 
Daniel and John, the only calendars of the 
Christian. 

The book of Daniel naturally divides itself 
in three parts, — historical, prophetical, and 
expository. Six of the chapters are properly 
history, three are prophecy, and three exposi- 



63 

tory. And, it should be added, that there is 
more or less history and exposition in all the 
prophetic chapters. This arrangement is 
made to give the main features of the several 
chapters. The second, seventh, and eighth 
chapters are prophetical, the ninth, eleventh, 
and twelfth are expository. The tenth I 
have classed with the historical chapters, 
and yet it does not strictly belong with them, 
as it is but a preface to the last two exposi- 
tory chapters. All must admit that the same 
space of time and events are covered by the 
exposition, which are covered by the pro- 
phecy. We only need, then, to inquire, how 
extensive the field embraced in the prophecy? 
The prophecy claims to cover the whole 
field of the future. " The great God hath 
made known to the Icing what shall come to 
pass hereafter : and the dream is certain^ and 
the interpretation thereof sure" Dan. ii. 45. 
The method of making this known to the 
king is here stated. It was by a dream, in 
which he saw a metallic image, whose form 
was terrible, — the head of which was gold, his 
breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs 
of brass, his legs of iron, and his feet part of 
iron and part of clay. He saw till a stone 
was cut out without hands, and smote the 
image upon his feet that were of iron and 
clay, and broke them to pieces ; and then was 
the whole broken to pieces together, and be- 
came like the chaff of the summer threshing- 
floors, and the wind carried them away, and 



64 

there was no place found for them ; and the 
stone that smote the image became a great 
mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel, 
in his interpretation, tells Nebuchadnezzar 
that this was to show him the number, char- 
acter, changes, and destiny of the universal 
kingdoms that should bear sway over the 
earth; and these should be five in number, 
four of them earthly and oppressive, repre- 
sented by the image, to be succeeded by 
God's everlasting kingdom, symbolized by 
the stone. This covers the whole space of 
the future. Those kingdoms rising success- 
ively, and the earthly kingdoms extending in 
duration to a certain point, and then followed 
by the everlasting kingdom of God, would, as 
all can see, fill the whole field of the future. 
And we are not left in ignorance as to what 
kingdoms were represented by the image. 
The king is told by Daniel that the first is 
his kingdom, the Babylonian; the fifth chap- 
ter teaches us that this was succeeded by the 
Medo-Persian ; the eighth, that this should 
be followed by the Grecian; the ninth speaks 
of the people of the prince that should come, 
and destroy the city and sanctuary, — evi- 
dently meaning the Romans. And history 
shows that these were the kingdoms meant. 

In the seventh chapter, we are told that 
Daniel had a vision, in which he saw these 
same kingdoms, under the symbols of four 
wild beasts. And the last kingdom was fol- 
lowed by the coming of the Son of man in the 



65 

clouds of heaven, the judgment, and ever- 
lasting kingdom of God. But the instruction 
of this vision is more in detail, that one fact 
might be explained; viz., the unusually long 
continuance of the fourth kingdom. This is 
accounted for by showing that it would exist 
in two distinct forms, and pass through sev- 
eral changes. The terrible beast representing 
this kingdom, seen in the vision, first appears 
to the view of Daniel having ten horns. 
Then is seen a little horn coming up among 
them, and three of the first falling before it. 
And this horn had a look more stout than his 
fellows, had eyes as the eyes of a man, and 
a mouth that spake great words against the 
Most High, and wore out the saints of the 
Most High, and thought to change times and 
laws; and the saints were given into his 
hands for a time, times, and the dividing of a 
time; and he made war against them and pre- 
vailed against them, until the Ancient of days 
came, and the time came for the saints to pos- 
sess the kingdom. We have here the same 
space of time covered as in Nebuchadnezzar's 
vision, with more particularity of description 
and detail. We have the four kingdoms, the 
fourth in its two forms, the judgment, the 
coming of the Son of man in the clouds of 
heaven, the giving of the body of the last 
beast to the burning flame, and the possession 
of the kingdom by the saints. And we have 
instruction as to the time of the dominion of 
the papal horn, as that is evidently the power 
6* 



66 

intended in the time, times and dividing of 
time, or one thousand two hundred and sixty- 
years. But as that dominion was not to ex- 
tend quite to the end, the chain was not long 
enough to measure the whole time. Another 
vision therefore was necessary. 

This was had, as we are told in the eighth 
chapter. In this vision, there is no symbol for 
the first kingdom, as that was about to be 
superseded. The three succeeding are repre- 
sented by a ram, goat, and a horn, little at 
its beginning, but waxing exceeding great 
toward the south, east, and pleasant land ; 
and waxed great even to the host of heaven, 
and cast down some of the host and stars to 
the ground and stamped upon them; and 
magnified itself to the prince of the host, took 
away the daily sacrifice, and cast down the 
place of his sanctuary ; and cast the truth to 
the ground, and practised and prospered. 
We have the highest authority for believing 
that this horn represents the Roman kingdom 
in its pagan and papal forms. The symme- 
try of the vision requires this ; the prophetic 
description shows it. The length of the vision 
was asked by one. and given by another, — 
two thousand three hundred days. That was 
to be the end of indignation, or the termina- 
tion of the reign of earthly powers. Then the 
sanctuary was to be cleansed, or, which is 
the same thing, the kingdom possessed by the 
saints. But more instruction as to this time, 
especially its commencement, was necessary. 



67 

And it was given at the very time when it 
was needed. Daniel, about the time of the 
expiration of the seventy years of captivity, 
began to pray, overlooking the vision of the 
two thousand three hundred days, for the 
same thing promised at the end of those days. 
Gabriel is despatched immediately, and told 
to fly swiftly, to correct the error of Daniel, 
and give him farther instruction as to the 
time appointed, especially its commencement 
He turns his attention to the matter of prayer, 
and the vision of two thousand three hundred 
days. He divides the long period, and gives 
some of the more important events of a reli- 
gious character that would occur, or those that 
would more particularly concern Daniel. He 
instructs him that seventy weeks, or four 
hundred and ninety years, are cut off for his 
people and city, to finish the transgression 
and make an end of sins, to make reconcilia- 
tion for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting 
righteousness, and seal up the vision and 
prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy. He 
wishes him to be particular and understand 
when the period should begin, at the going 
forth of the commandment to restore and build 
Jerusalem. From that point, he assures him, 
unto Messiah the Prince, there should be 
sixty-nine weeks — four hundred and eighty- 
three years. After that he should be cut oif, 
having confirmed the covenant with many 
for one week. Gabriel then carries his mind 
down to the destruction of Jerusalem, and 



68 

over a long period of desolation to the " con- 
summation/' when that which is determined 
shall be poured upon the desolator, or Roman 
power. So it is plain that the instruction of 
the ninth chapter covers the whole field of 
the prophecy. But it is confined to the reli- 
gious events that were to transpire. 

In the tenth chapter, he comes again, and 
announces his design, to make Daniel under- 
stand what shall befall his people in the latter 
days. Verse 14. He then begins with the 
power then reigning, and gives a detailed 
account of the successive reigns to the time 
the last power is broken without hand. Then, 
he says, Michael shall stand up to reign, and 
there shall be a time of trouble such as there 
never was since there was a nation to that 
time, but all shall be delivered who are found 
written in the book; the resurrection shall 
take place, and the wise shall shine as the 
brightness of the firmament, and those who 
have turned many to righteousness as the 
stars forever anjd ever. Daniel is then in- 
structed to shut up and seal the book, until 
the time of the end. At that time, he is 
assured, the wise shall understand. But 
before the close of the chapter, he has two 
other numbers given him, to enable him to 
determine the rise as well as duration of the 
papal dominion, and the period when he shall 
stand in his lot in the kingdom promised. 
This brings us again to the end. So we are 



69 

carried over this same field three times in the 
prophecy, and twice in the exposition. 

Taking this view of the prophecy, what a 
book does it become ! Grasping a period so 
vast; stretching over limits so broad; fore- 
showing, with such accuracy and fulness of 
detail, the rise, order, character, and destiny 
of the mightiest kingdoms of earth; foretelling, 
with such exactness and precision, events so 
note-worthy and distinguishing as the first 
and second advent of the Messiah, and the 
periods and accompanying events of those 
advents, and then unfolding to view the im- 
mortal state — it becomes a book of the high- 
est importance and interest. As a prophetic 
book, it is incomparable. It gives us an ac- 
curate account of the whole road and dis- 
tance yet to be travelled, as well as those 
already passed over. It brings to view, and 
in their order, the great events of thousands 
of years ! It stops not with the changes and 
events of time ; it extends onward to eternity, 
and affords a view of the scenes of that 
world ! This being the scope and field of 
the prophecy, its value and interest to the 
church cannot be estimated. 

The Apocalypse, or Revelation, in its pro- 
phetic portion, embraces the period of the last 
or Roman kingdom, from the time John had 
his vision to the time of its destruction, and 
gives us, with more minuteness and detail 
than Daniel, the religious and political events 
to occur to the end ; and it then furnishes us 



70 

with a most glowing description of the happy 
and blissful state succeeding the downfall 
of the last kingdom, the destruction of the 
wicked, the confinement of Satan, and the 
renewal of the earth and heavens. That 
this is the field it covers, the book itself will 
show. " Write the things which thou hast 
seen, and the things which are, and the 

THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER." Chap. L 

19. As the book has, then, properly three 
parts, the prophetic portion constitutes the 
third part, being confined to the things that 
should be thereafter. And, written as it was 
during the supremacy of the Roman king- 
dom, and under the first form of it, we 
should necessarily conclude that it would 
cover the whole time of its existence, and fill 
up the outlines furnished by the more com- 
prehensive prophecy of Daniel, and give us 
more in detail respecting the manner of its 
destruction, and afford us a fuller and more 
definite view of the state and glory of the 
kingdom to folio w. All of this it does. It 
takes us several times over the whole field, 
and gives us as many views of the different 
classes of events which were to take place 
during the period ; presents the Roman king- 
dom in its two distinctive forms, with the 
proper numbers showing the limits of its du- 
ration ; describes its rage, opposition, bloody 
persecution, and fearful destruction of the 
saints; and then shows the manner of its 



71 

overthrow, succeeded by a description of the 
glory that will follow. 

Now all are ready to admit, that if this is 
a correct view of the field of prophecy, and 
the points and lengths of the prophetic num- 
bers, there can be no mistake as to the legiti- 
macy and correctness of our conclusions. 
But in all that is essential in the above view, 
we have with us the highest and most re- 
spected authorities of the whole church. In 
fact, in almost every point raised by our oppo- 
nents, we have been supported by the expos- 
itors. In the very few instances in which 
we have not their direct support, Ave have 
their general views and reasonings to sustain 
us, and the direct testimony of some of the 
first and most judicious of their number. 
This I will proceed to show. 

Seven points of doubt or dissent have been 
raised, in reference to the above view, by 
our opponents. These points I will specify. 
1. The fourth kingdom of Daniel. 2. The 
little horn of the seventh chapter. 3. The 
little horn of the eighth. 4. The length of 
the prophetic periods. 5. The commence- 
ment of the seventy weeks. 6. The connec- 
tion between the seventy weeks and 2300 
days. 7. The rise of the little horn of the 
seventh. These, so far as I know, are the 
only points of doubt or dissent involved in 
the system we advocate. If we are sustained 
in these by the best and highest authorities 
of the religious world, all must see that the 



72 

system does not rest on slight or insufficient 
grounds. And, as it respects the first five 
points, it can hardly be questioned that we 
have nearly the whole Protestant world with 
us. An admission of Prof. Stuart implies as 
much as this. He admits that the custom 
of reckoning days as the representatives of 
years, among the interpreters of the old and 
new world, is almost universal. {Hints, p. 74.) 
This concession is valuable for more than 
one purpose. It may involve more than ap- 
pears at first view. If the interpreters of the 
Protestant world are with us, as to the method 
of computing prophetic time, they are as to 
the leading features of the prophecy. This 
will follow as a matter of necessity. The 
question of the length of the prophetic num- 
bers must depend in a great measure on the 
extent of the prophetic field, or the character 
and importance of prophetic events. If, for 
instance, the little horn of the seventh of 
Daniel be intended to represent Papacy, and 
not Antiochus, the time, times, and the divi- 
ding of time, or 1260 days, the period during 
which the saints were to be in his hands, 
cannot mean so many literal days, but so 
many years. This all will admit. So of the 
little horn of the eighth. If Rome in its com- 
pound pagan and papal form, be meant, and 
not Antiochus, the 2300 days, all will admit, 
must mean so many years. So the question 
as to the length of the prophetic numbers, is 
one of fundamental importance in the system 



73 

of interpretation. It has a vast bearing upon 
the character, and import, and importance 
of prophecy. The literal system of interpret- 
ing these numbers, or the system that teaches 
that a day in prophecy means but a day, 
changes the whole character of prophecy, 
and diminishes it in importance, value, dig- 
nity, and extent of scope, just as much as 
the difference between 2300 literal days and 
the same number of years ! To shorten the 
prophetic numbers, the prophecy needs to be 
correspondingly cut down ! The field is re- 
duced, to answer to the chain that is to mea- 
sure it ! This is the alarming result of the 
new system of interpretation. The whole 
is a paring, frittering, reducing process. It 
strips the prophecy of its dignity, solemnity, 
importance, and glory. It leaves it valueless 
— as empty as a sound. These day exposi- 
tors can see nothing beyond a day — the events 
they interpret are all of a day ! The mea- 
sure of the importance of prophecy is the 
measure of a man, that is, of Antiochus ! 
The question, then, respecting the lengih of 
prophetic time, is one of great moment. 
Much hangs upon its decision. And yet a 
decision of this question must involve a de- 
cision as to the extent of the field covered bjr 
the prophecy. They are of necessity depen- 
dent on each other. And, of consequence, 
those who are with us as to the length of 
prophetic time, are with us as to the general 
field embraced in the prophecy. It is true, 
7 



74 

that, among such, there is a difference as to 
the application of some particular parts of 
the prophecy, but not as to the extent of field 
it covers. Some of the old writers applied 
the prophecy relating to the little horn of the 
seventh and eighth of Daniel, to Antiochus, 
but only in the sense of a type of the Anti- 
christ to come. This, though a mistaken ap- 
plication, did not affect their views as to the 
field embraced in the prophecy, or the length 
of the prophetic numbers. 

Now, as we have, according to the conces- 
sion of Prof. Stuart, the Protestant church 
with us as to the method of computing pro- 
phetic time, they must be equally with us as 
it respects the meaning and general scope of 
the prophecy. And this is not left to an in- 
ference from an admission. The testimony 
of the highest authorities of the religious 
world, will show how fully we are sustained 
in the points specified. 

1. The fourth kingdom of Daniel. This 
we claim to be the Roman. In this view we 
have the support of the ablest and most 
judicious expositors of every age. William 
Cunninghame, Esq., of England, an eminent 
expositor, in speaking of the four parts of the 
great image of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, 
says, that they " are respectively applied by 
Daniel himself to four kingdoms, which have, 
by the unanimous voice of the Jewish and 
Christian churches, for more than eighteen 
centuries } been identified with the empires of 



75 

Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome" Should 
this be questioned, the witnesses are abun- 
dant. In the Jewish Church, we have the Tar- 
gum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, Josephus, and 
the whole modern synagogue, including the 
names of Abarbanal, Kimchi, David Levi, 
and others. In the Christian Church, such 
as Barnabas, Irenaeus, Chrysostom, Cyril of 
Jerusalem in his catechism, Jerome, and 
according to him, all ecclesiastical writers, 
Hyppolitus and Lactantius, in the early ages; 
since the Reformation, Luther, Calvin, Mede, 
T. H. Home,* Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop 
Newton, Dr. Hales, Scott, Clarke, Brown, j 
Watson,J Bishop Lloyd, Daubuz, Bright- 
man, Faber, Noel, Dr. Hopkins, and we 
might add, almost every biblical expositor of 
any note in the Protestant church, if we 
except a few who have written in our own 
country within a year or two. And it is 
quite needless to add, that those who make 
this application of the four parts of the image, 
have no difficulty in making a like applica- 
tion of the four beasts of Daniel seventh. 
The remarkable similarity of the two visions 
requires this. 

2. The little horn of the seventh. This we 
hold to be Papacy. This is no novel view of 
that symbol, being, as it is, the view of the 
whole Protestant world. See Dr. Clarke's 

* See Introduction, vol. 1, p. 333 ; vol. 4, pp. 189, 191. 
f See Harmony of Scripture. 
% Theol. Die, p. 228. 



76 

Notes on 2 Thess. ii. chap., Croly on the 
Apoc., pp. 113 — 117, Home's Int., vol. 4., p. 
191, Watson's Theol. Die, p. 62, G. T. Noel, 
Prospects of the Church of Christ, p. 100, 
William Cunninghame, Esq., Political Dest. 
of the Earth, p. 28, Mede, Newton, Scott, 
Daubuz, Hurd, Jurieu, Vitringa, Fleming, 
Lowman, and numerous others of our best 
standard expositors. 

3. The little horn of the eighth chapter, that 
became exceeding great. This we believe to 
be Rome. Such was also the opinion of 
Horne.^ Vol. 4, p. 191. Sir Isaac Newton, 
Bishop Newton, Dr. Hales, Martin Luther, 
Dr. Prideaux, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Hopkins, Wm. 
Cunninghame, and others. In addition to 
these, almost all the old writers, who applied 
it to Antiochus Epiphanes, did so only as the 
type of Rome, where they looked for the 
Antichrist. St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, 
in the fourth century, said, "This, the pre- 
dicted Antichrist, will come when the times 
of the (Pagan) Roman empire shall be ful- 
filled, and the consummation of the world 
approach. Ten kings of the Romans shall 
rise together, in different places indeed, but 

* We here give a remark of this standard author : u Sir 
Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, and Dr. Hales, have clear- 
ly shown that the Roman power, and no other, is intended ; 
for, although some of the particulars may agree very well 
with that king, (Antiochus,) yet others can by no means be 
reconciled to him ; while all of them agree and correspond 
exactly with the Romans ; and with no other power" 



77 

they shall reign at the same time. Among 
these, the 11th is Antichrist, who, by magical 
and wicked artifices, shall seize the Roman 
power." 

4. The length of the prophetic numbers. 
On this, little proof need be offered, as there 
is probably no point on which Protestant 
commentators have been so well agreed, 
as that the days in Daniel and John are 
representatives of so many years. Faber, 
Prideaux, Mede, Clarke, Scott, the two 
Newtons, Wesley, and almost every exposi- 
tor of note, have considered this a settled 
question. Indeed, so universal has been this 
interpretation of these periods, that Professor 
Stuart says, in his Hints, p. 74, "It is a 

SINGULAR FACT THAT THE GREAT MASS OF INTER- 
PRETERS in the English and American world, 
have, for many years, been wont to under- 
stand the days designated in Daniel and the 
Apocalypse, as the representatives or symbols 
of years. I have found it difficult to trace 
the origin of this general, 7* might say 

ALMOST UNIVERSAL CUSTOM." 

5. The commencement of the seventy weeks. 
These we believe commenced with the decree 
of Artaxerxes Longimanus, to restore and 
build Jerusalem, according to Ezra seventh, 
B. C. 457. This has, also, long been considered 
by commentators to be a settled point ; and it 
probably would not now be disputed, were it 
not for a desire to avoid the conclusion to 
which it brings us. on the supposition that it is 

7* 



78 

the beginning of the 2300 days. On so settled 
a point as this, we need only mention such 
names as Home, (see Int., vol. 1, p. 336, vol. 
4, p. 191,) Prideaux, (see Connection, pp.227 
— 256,) Clarke, (see Notes on ninth Daniel,) 
Watson, (Theol. Die, p. 96,) William Howel, 
LL. D., (Int. of Gen. His., vol. 1, p. 209,) 
Scott, and Cunninghame. 

The two remaining points are those, which, 
among that class of our opponents who in the 
main agree with us in the preceding, are the 
most seriously questioned, and respecting 
which less light is afforded by biblical exposi- 
tors. And yet in our views of these we are 
sustained by the general views and reason- 
ings of many expositors, and by the direct 
testimony of the most able writers. 

6. The connection between the 2300 days 
and the seventy weeks. This connection we 
think plain, and in proving it we are much 
aided by the learned world. This aid is fur- 
nished both directly and indirectly — a few 
plainly testifying to the fact of the connection 
— the many affording us one of the most deci- 
sive arguments proving it. The argument is 
based upon the literal meaning of the Hebrew 
word, which, in our version of Daniel ix. 24, 
is rendered " determined." That the word 
means literally, cutoff, or exit out, we have the 
highest authority. This fact, viewed in the 
light of the circumstances in which Gabriel 
appeared to Daniel, as stated in the ninth 
chupteri and the instruction given, must be 



79 

decisive proof of the connection between the 
two periods. Daniel had had a vision before 
this time, reaching to the time of the cleans- 
ing of the sanctuary. This he was told 
would be at the end of 2300 days. At the 
time Gabriel appeared to him, he was earnest- 
ly praying for the restoration of his people, 
and the cleansing of the sanctuary, having 
previously ascertained from books that the 
seventy years of captivity had expired. The 
angel, having received orders to fly swiftly, 
appeared to Daniel, and stopped him in the 
midst of his prayer, and gave him further 
instruction. He directed him to " understand 
the matter, and consider the vision." A 
reference to that would teach him that the 
object of his prayer could not then be grant- 
ed, the end of the 2300 days being far in the 
future. The angel then assured him that 
seventy weeks were cut off for his people and 
city, during which time Jerusalem should be 
rebuilt, with the walls, and at the end of 
which an atonement should be made for sin 
by the death of Messiah ; and after that the 
city and sanctuary should be destroyed, and 
remain desolate until the consummation or 
completion of the time, and that which was 
determined should be poured upon the deso- 
late. Now, as this was evidently an expla- 
nation of the vision of the 2300 days, and as 
the seventy weeks were cut off from, or out 
of, it ; and as the instruction of Gabriel reach- 
ed beyond the termination of those weeks, to 



80 

the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, 
and onward, during a long period of desola- 
tion, to the consummation or completion ; the 
inference seems irresistible that the seventy 
weeks are not only a part of the 2300 days, 
but the first part of them. This being so, the 
commencement of the two periods must be 
the same. But I will here allude to authori- 
ties for thus rendering the word. It will not 
be too much for me to say, that this is nearly 
or quite a settled point among the best schol- 
ars. In an old work, entitled, "A six-fold 
commentary on Daniel," published in Lon- 
don, A. D. 1608, I observe it is rendered cut 
out. 

Dr. Gill, a distinguished divine and scholar, 
thus renders the word, and quotes many of 
the first critics, who agree with him. 

Hengstenberg, who enters into a critical 
examination of the original text, says, — " But 
the very use of the word, which does not 
elsewhere occur, while others, much more 
frequently used, were at hand, if Daniel had 
wished to express the idea of determination, 
and of which he has elsewhere, and even in 
this portion, availed himself; seems to argue, 
that the ivord stands, from regard to its orig- 
inal meaning, and represents the seventy 
weeks in contrast with a determination of 
time (en platei) as a period cut off from 
subsequent duration, and accurately limited." 
Christology of the Old Test, vol 2,.p. 301. 
Washington, 1839. 



81 

Gesenius, in his Hebrew Lexicon, gives 
cut off as the definition of the word ; and 
many others of the first standing, as to learn- 
ing and research. And, besides, several ver- 
sions have thus rendered the word.* And 
we might add, that this is admitted to be 
the true rendering of the word, by our best 
Hebrew contemporaries, such as Bush and 
Seixas, though opposed to our views. 

We also have the direct testimony of 

*A Hebrew scholar, of high reputation, makes the following 
remarks upon the word which is translated " determined," in 
our version. — The verb chathak (in the Niphal form, passive, 
nechtak) is found only in Daniel ix. 24. Not another in- 
stance of its use can be traced in the entire Hebrew Testament. 
As Chaldaic and Rabbinical usage must give us the true 
sense of the word; if we are guided by these, it has the single 
signification of cutting, or cutting off. In the Chal- 
deo-Rabbinic Dictionary of Stockius, the word t( chathak" is 
thus defined : 

«' Scidit, abscidit, conscidit, inscidit, excidit" — To cut, to 
cut away, to cut in pieces, to cut or engrave, to cut off, 

Mercerus, in his " Thesaurus," furnishes a specimen of 
Rabbinical usage in the phrase chathikah shelbasar — " a piece 
of flesh," or " a cut of flesh." He translates the word as it 
occurs in Dan. ix. 24, by " pracisa est" — was cut off. 

In the literal version of Arias Montanus, it is translated 
" decisa est," — was cut off; in the marginal reading, 
which is grammatically correct, it is rendered by the plural, 
" decisae sunt" — were cut off. 

In the Latin version of Junius and Tremellius, nechtak is 
rendered " decisae sunt" — were cut off. 

Again, in Theodotion's Greek version of Daniel, (which is 
the version used in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint as be- 
ing the most faithful,) it is rendered by cvverjuvSvcaLv, (t were cut 
off" and in the Venetian copy by TST^uvn-Ttf/, " have been cut." 
The idea of cutting off is pursued in the Vulgate; where the 
phrase is " abbreviatae sunt," have been shortened. 

Thus Chaldaic and Rabbinical authority, and that of the earli- 
est versions, the Septuagint and Vulgate, give the SINGLE SIG- 
NIFICATION OF CUTTING OFF TO THIS VERB." 



82 

Prof. Bush, the learned Joseph Wolfe, and 
others of our day, that the seventy weeks 
are a part, and the first part, of the two 
thousand three hundred days. Dr. Wilson, 
of Cincinnati, who is the highest authority 
in the Presbyterian church, in a recent dis- 
course "On cleansing the Sanctuary," says, 
— " I undertake to show — that Daniel's ' sev- 
enty weeks' is the beginning, or first part of 
the c two thousand three hundred days,' al- 
lotted for the cleansing of the sanctuary : that 
Daniel's l time, times, and a half is the last 
or concluding part of the two thousand 
three hundred days." This may be deemed 
sufficient on this point. 

7. The rise of the little horn of Daniel 
seventh. We believe that Papacy, symbol- 
ized by the little horn, rose by virtue of the 
decree of Justinian, and not that of Phocas, 
or any other ruler, or power. This decree, 
though issued A. D. 533, did not, as we con- 
ceive, go into full effect until 538, when the 
enemies of the Catholics in Rome were sub- 
jugated by Belisarius, a general of Justinian. 
In this view, as to the rise of Papacy, we 
are sustained by Croly, (see his work on 
Apoc, pp. 113—117;) G. T. Noel, (see Pros- 
pects of Ch., p. 100;) Wm. Cunninghame, Esq. 
(Pol. Destiny of the Earth, p. 28 ;) Keith, Vol. 
1, p. 93; Encyclopedia of Rel. Knowl., art. 
Antichrist; Edward King, Esq., and others. 

It is thus we are sustained, in the views 
we cherish, by the plain teaching of the 



83 

prophetic pages, and by the highest author- 
ities of the religious world. In all the points 
that are disputed, we have the sure word of 
prophecy to guide us, and the best of human 
authority to sustain us. This fact will put 
to blush the accuser, who charges us with 
holding novel, fanatical, and heretical views. 
Let him thus charge the high authorities 
quoted above — men of the most distinguished 
talent and extensive learning, the brightest 
ornaments of the church, and the best stand- 
ard expositors. With them, in the path of 
truth, we feel we shall not suffer. 

In the light of what has been shown, to 
what conclusion are we necessarily brought? 
If we are right in the points considered, the 
conclusion is not to be resisted that the end 
is at hand. If we are not mistaken as to 
the extent of the prophetic field, the length 
of prophetic time, and the dates from which 
to reckon such time, all must concede that 
the present period is that which is to witness 
the grand termination of all earthly things. 
And the Christian world assure us, that, in 
the main points, we cannot be mistaken. 
As to particular dates, we have such high 
authority, such light from the prophetic 
pages, such confirmation from the events of 
Providence and the characteristics of the 
present times, as to give foundation and 
strength to our faith. We must, in all hon- 
esty, believe, in view of the accumulating 
evidences around us, and the prophetic dec- 



84 

larations before us, that the reign of Christ, 
long looked for and desired, is near at hand. 
May it be hastened ! 

Now this prophecy has been fulfilled, or 
is to be, or it has failed. To say it has 
failed, is to be infidel ; to say it has been 
fulfilled in events and circumstances far in- 
ferior to those the language would warrant 
us to expect, is to be scarcely less so ; and 
to say that it is to be fulfilled, without being 
able to show, from the book itself, that there is 
yet ground to expect it after so long a delay, 
is hardly to rescue the prophecy from the 
hands of infidels. And it might with equal 
justice be added, that so to interpret the 
prophecy as to turn away its force from the 
prominent systems of error now prevalent, 
is to favor and countenance those systems. 
In the light of these facts, where does the 
learned Stuart stand ? A few references to 
his book will show. A review of that book, 
will not, in this discourse, be expected; a 
mere glance at its general character, is all 
that time will allow. It is not his to do 
small things — his is the work of a Hercules ! 
It is not his to meddle with the flaws and 
foibles of systems, but to show how readily 
he can demolish the works of generations ! 
Intoxicated by German literature, driven on 
by mingled ambition and a desire to check 
the prevalence of a hated system, he dashes 
on through his book, regardless of the work 
of ruin and havoc he effects ! That we may 



85 

understand the vastness of his undertaking, 
he is careful to assure us, at the beginning, 
that his leading principle of interpretation is 
in opposition to the expositors of the Eng- 
lish and American world — in fact, to those 
of nearly the whole Protestant world. But 
there is another world on which the Profes- 
sor had his eye, and the exception of which, 
explains volumes — the German world ! De- 
riving his leading principles from thence, he 
girds himself for his work. He stops not to 
prove, or even to argue positions assumed irt 
opposition to the host of Protestant interpre- 
ters — he is not giving a " Thesaurus, but 
hints!" Points entirely settled in the Pro- 
testant church, he decides, without any proof 
or argument to the contrary, to be undoubt- 
edly otherwise. The little horn of the sev- 
enth of Daniel, declared, by the almost unan- 
imous voice of Protestants, to be the symbol 
of Papacy, he thinks to be " undoubtedly" 
Antiochus ! p. 83. With as much propriety, 
and no more in opposition to the opinions of 
that portion of the religious world, I might 
say that Josephus undoubtedly was Cyrus ! 
He unites with the expositors of the Romish 
Church in saying, that there is no Papacy in 
Daniel. He proceeds, and pares, and frit- 
ters, and cuts down the whole book, and 
attempts to make it fit the inch-measure of 
his day for a day principle. And thus the 
most valuable portion of this book is at- 
tempted to be crowded into the narrow limits 



86 

of six years and a fourth ! Its importance 
is to be measured by the acts of a single 
Syrian prince ! The destruction of the little 
horn, the burning of the fourth beast, the 
coming of the Son of man with the clouds 
of heaven, the judgment, the time for the 
saints to possess the kingdom, the cleansing 
of the sanctuary, the end of indignation, 
the standing up of Michael to reign, the time 
of trouble, the deliverance of those written 
in the book, the resurrection, the standing of 
Daniel in his lot, and the shining of the 
wise as the brightness of the firmament, 
and those who turned many to righteousness 
as the stars, all took place at the death of 
that prince, in 164 B. C. ! ! This is the re- 
suit to which the work conducts us. But 
how poor his success in making the stub- 
born prophecy conform to his principle ! In 
applying the prominent symbols of Daniel 
to that prince, with the periods given, he 
presumes the application is nearly just — sta- 
tistical exactness not being expected. (See pp. 
88, 89, 122.) But how plain it must be to 
all, that this method of interpreting, or rather 
misinterpreting, this book, so long the Chris- 
tian's Calendar, makes it the sport of infi- 
dels, and gives it over to Romanism, and other 
kindred systems of error and iniquity. 

And then he comes to the Apocalypse. 
And what havoc there ! Consistency required 
that he should carry out his principle with 
respect to that book, though the task was 



87 

more difficult. After diligent search, he finds 
a hero for the Apocalypse — it is Nero ! He 
then has space sufficiently narrow to admit 
of the use of his measure. But he does not 
stop to inquire, or even to notice, the date of 
the book; which, of itself, would have been 
enough to have arrested him in his progress. 
The weight of authority, he well knows, is 
in favor of fixing the date of that book as it 
is in our large Bibles, viz., 96. The testi- 
mony of nearly all the early writers favors 
this date.* If this is the correct date, the 
hero of the Apocalypse had been dead nearly 
thirty years before it was written ! It can- 
not be that this book/oretold things that had 
passed ! But this point is not noticed by 
the Professor. He assumes that it was writ- 
ten before Nero's time, and applies the larger 
portion of the book to him and his succes- 
sors, who finally destroyed Jerusalem. All 
that has, by Protestants, been applied to pa- 
pacy, he makes symbolical of Nero ! The 
coming of Christ, so often mentioned in the 
book, he construes to be his coming for the 
destruction of Jerusalem ! — And thus does 
he aid, most effectually, the three great er- 
rors specified: Infidelity, by adopting Ne- 
ological principles of exposition, and, conse- 
quently, making very little of the prophecies : 
Papacy, by uniting with the Romish inter- 
preters, and attempting to take from Pro- 
testants their most effectual weapon against 

* See Croly on Apocalypse. 



83 

that system : Universalism, by surrendering 
to its adherents those portions of the Scrip- 
ture we have used the most effectually against 
them. And it should be observed, that the 
supporters and advocates of these systems 
of error, begin to be sensible of the efficient 
aid rendered them by the Professor. Al- 
ready do they claim him as an accession to 
their number. This is more particularly 
true, with respect to the supporters of the 
last system named. They hesitate not, in 
their several papers, to speak of him as a 
convert to their views, and as a powerful 
ally of their cause.* And the adherents of 
the other systems are not unaware of his 
position, or insensible to the value of his ser- 
vices, though they have not made so public 
a manifestation of their gratification. 

And now what have we left us, according 
to the views of our opponent, on which to 
rest our faith, and by which to be guided 
and cheered, as to the future ? We are out 
upon the ocean of the world, in a moonless 
and starless night, without rudder, compass, 

*A Universalist periodical, published in Connecticut, thus 
speaks of him : 

" We have often had occasion to note the progress which is 
manifestly going on in the mind of this world-famous theologian. 
We are certainly not wrong in the opinion that, for several 
years, his views have been growing liberal, more enlarged. 
* * * He is casting off, with a giant's strength, the trammels of 
Calvinistic theology, and making his way into the liberty and 
light of a broader and better faith. We find evidences of it in 
every work which comes from his pen. We are not sure that 
Stuart is yet a Universalist in his views of the Divine govern- 
ment, but there are many passages in his writings which seem 
strongly to indicate that he is not far from the kingdom of God." 



89 

or chart ! And when we apply to our mas- 
ters for information respecting our position, 
direction, and progress to the destined port, 
we are told there are no means of knowing ! 
that it is best and wisest we should know 
nothing about them ! The prophecy is ap- 
plied to days long since passed away, and 
all in the future is dark and uncertain ! 
This is the condition in which we are left 
by such works as Stuart's, and others follow- 
ing in his steps. 

And giving, as our opponents do, the 24th 
of Matthew and kindred portions of the New 
Testament to the Universalists, they yield 
so much as to make it difficult to prove a 
future personal coming of Christ at all. If 
such Scripture, so strong and expressive, so 
demonstrative of a personal coming, is to be 
regarded as figurative, or, at most, as only 
intended to teach a spiritual or providential 
visitation, it must be extremely difficult, and 
we believe impossible, to prove a personal 
coming. And especially is this so, after the 
Apocalypse is wrested from us, and applied to 
events closing with the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem, by some of the most learned writers of 
the age. To this fearful result do the rea- 
sonings of our opposers directly bring us ! 

So it is most evident, that to oppose our 
views with any degree of success, positions 
most novel, startling, and dangerous, are 
taken. Settled points are questioned and 
denied; old and unquestioned principles of 
8* 



90 

interpretation are abandoned ; the plainest 
biblical teachings are misconstrued, and the 
whole host of expositors set at naught. Dan- 
iel is given to a Syrian prince, the Apoca- 
lypse to a Roman emperor, and Matthew and 
the parallel books to the destruction of Jeru- 
salem ! And all this to avoid the doctrine of 
the Lord's speedy coming ! How much like 
the course of the Jews, to avoid the conclu- 
sion that Christ has come the first time ! By 
the most sophistical and unfair means have 
they attempted to dispose of the seventy iveefcs, 
within the limits of which the Messiah was 
to make his first advent, to justify themselves 
in their unbelief; — so, by similar means, do 
our opponents attempt to dispose of the 2300 
days and other like periods, which limit the 
time of the second advent, to justify their 
unbelief respecting the time of that advent. 
In this they show a strong affinity to the 
Jews. And it is not a little remarkable that 
both classes are stumbled, perplexed, and 
pressed by the same general period ; the Jews 
by the first part of it, and our opponents by 
the concluding part ! But the Jews have not 
yet been able to dispose of the 70 weeks ; 
nor have our opponents been able to dispose 
of the remainder of the 2300 days. The 
event distinguishing each, is wholly inde- 
pendent of the belief of mortals. At the 
appointed time, the first occurred ; so will the 
second, whatever mav be the scepticism 
respecting it. 



91 

But to close. It does appear that after a 
slight examination, all candid persons must 
see and admit, that, on the supposition that 
our theory be false, it is far less absurd and 
dangerous than those which have been ex- 
cogitated and offered as substitutes for it; 
that it is less infidel, less paradoxical, less 
adapted to ruin the souls of men. Such an 
examination will show that the methods of 
our opponents, in opposing our views, sup- 
posing them to be wrong, have been like an 
attempt to put down the Unitarian views of 
the Unity of God, by Polytheism ; or the pre- 
tensions of Joe Smith, by an effort to prove 
that prophets in all ages have been impos- 
tors ; or, in other words, that a lesser error 
has been sought to be put down by a greater ! 
And it will be seen, by such examination, 
that if we err, we err with the wisest and 
best of men in all ages ; that we err on the 
side of the accredited expositors of the Pro- 
testant church ; that we err in the plain path 
of prophetic teaching ; that we err, if at all, 
with comparative safety, because on the side 
of too great love for the Saviour's appearing ! 
But if we err, our opposers have a fearful 
account to settle with the world and with 
God ! The world and God will hold them 
responsible for the doctrines they now ad- 
vance and oppose to our views. I fear for 
the result ! Did I believe we should fail, I 
should prefer, by far, my position to that of 
the opposers. I should hesitate not at all as to 



92 

the ground to be chosen, knowing the issue 
that has been made up. I choose not to share 
in the fearful account to be settled with 
Infidels, Catholics, Universalists and Trans- 
cendentalists, should time continue. The 
positions, the works, of this controversy, are 
not to be forgotten. The eye of the eagle 
has been upon our opposers ; every sentiment, 
and turn, and shift, and change, has been ob- 
served, marked, and treasured for future use. 
At another day, they must be apprized of 
them. Should they attempt, hereafter, to meet 
these errorists, they would so turn their own 
weapons against them, as to drive them 
quickly and in confusion from the field. 
Some begin to see the danger, and to give the 
alarm.* 

Thus much, supposing we fail. But if we 
are right, how perilous the condition of oppo- 
sers ! What a position in which to meet the 
Judge of all the earth ! We envy not such 
a meeting! Lord, forbid that such should 
be my lot ! Let us, then, all wait patiently 
for Him who shall come to take the kingdom, 
and reign. Though he tarry beyond a given 
time, let us daily watch. We may be fully 
assured that the great principles on which 
our faith and hopes are based, are true, and 
will abide forever. All things admonish 
us, — the events of the past, the occurrences of 
the present, and the fore-shado wings of the 

* See an excellent article in the New York Evangelist, 
on this subject. 



93 

future, — that the reign of Christ is at hand! 
" For yet a little ivhile, and he that shall come 
will come^ and will not tarry" 

" Come, then, and, added to thy many crowns, 
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth, 
Thou who alone art worthy ! " Amen ! 



The following Address of the Tabernacle Committee 
was read on the opening of the Tabernacle. 

TO THE PUBLIC. 

Friends and Fellow-Citizens : — 

God, in his providence, has permitted us at 
length to realize the accomplishment of this long- 
hindered work, — the erection of our Tabernacle. 
The object for which it is specially designed, the 
plan and character of the edifice, together with 
the unforeseen, and of course uncontrollable cir- 
cumstances which have marked its history thus 
far, have combined to make it a subject of gen- 
eral public interest. We have no doubt, how- 
ever, that more important purposes have been 
effected by its delay than could have been by its 
earlier completion. It has been the means of call- 
ing attention to the views intended to be promul- 
gated in it, though mirth or malice may have em- 
ployed the means, at the same time that the story 
of its varying fortune, as the representative of a 
most important cause, has served as a test upon 
the candor and Christian liberality of the public ; 
and although a source of perplexity to its friends, 
we trust it has not been without some salutary 
influence upon them. Well, let God's work be 
done in his own way, whether our plans succeed 
or fail. In this case, however, the work was be- 



95 

gun with a view to the glory of God, as well as 
our own convenience in his worship. He has di- 
rected the circumstances of its history, and we 
would say, as Solomon said of the more wonder- 
ful and imposing temple, at its dedication, " The 
palace is not for man, but for the Lord God." 

Of our views as believers in the Second Ad- 
vent doctrine, as declared to the world by Mr. Mil- 
ler, all certainly must have heard. And although 
they have been widely promulgated, in accordance 
with the means God has given us, still, as we had 
reason to expect of a certain portion of the com- 
munity, who are too indolent or self-conceited to 
read with candor that which has not the sanction 
of popular favor, or perhaps offended that the 
truth and reasonableness of what they have read 
gave them everything to fear, and determined to 
oppose the doctrine as they must, if at all, with 
sophistry and falsehood, our views are not unfre- 
quently misrepresented. It may not be amiss, on 
the opening of the Tabernacle, to give a brief 
exposition of our position. 

With the Synopsis of Miller's Views, already 
published to the world, all Second Advent believ- 
ers in the main agree. In the application of par- 
ticular prophecies, there is often a variety of 
views, but which in no case affects the fundamen- 
tal principles of our faith. 

It has been generally supposed that the passing 
by of a mere point of time would test the truth 
or falsity of our views. This is by no means the 
case. Our views are based upon divine truths, 
which will be none the less true however great 
a lapse of time may intervene before their fulfil- 
ment. That much time will intervene, we do not 



96 

believe ; but till the fulfilment of the events for 
which we look, we shall ever hope and pray, 
" Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." 

We will not knowingly embrace any principles 
not plainly taught in the word of God ; and if we 
cannot stand on the plain letter of that word, we 
choose to fall. 

In believing that this earth, regenerated, is to 
be the eternal abode of the " children of the res- 
urrection," and that the great and glorious prom- 
ises of Isaiah and the other prophets which are 
applied to a millennial state, are to be then ful- 
filled, we are sustained by the belief of the church 
in its purest and best ages ; and in proof of which 
we have the testimony of not a few divines and 
historians in every age. 

In opposition to this view, there is no trace of 
any belief in the primitive church from the time 
of our Saviour prior to Origen, who flourished in 
the middle of the third century. 

Bishop Newton says, " the doctrine of the mil- 
lenium was generally believed in the first three 
and purest ages ; and this belief, as the learned 
Dodwell has justly observed, was one principal 
cause of the fortitude of the primitive Christians ; 
they even coveted martyrdom, in hopes of being 
partakers of the privileges and glories of the mar- 
tyrs in the first resurrection." 

In the first two centuries there was not an in- 
vidual who believed in the resurrection of the 
dead, whose name or memory has come down to 
us, that opposed it ; nor does there exist any frag- 
ment of the writings of any author that denied it. 
The testimony also is, that it was received from 



97 

those who saw our Lord, and heard of him re* 
specting those days. 

Thomas Burnet, in his " Theory of the Earth," 
'printed in London, A. D. 1697, states that it was 
the received opinion of the primitive church, from 
the days of the apostles to the council of Nice, that 
this earth would continue six thousand years from 
creation, when the resurrection of the just and 
conflagration of the earth would usher in the mil- 
lennium and reign of Christ on earth. 

As Popery arose, it became less prominent, but 
was revived at the reformation, and was not sup- 
planted by the doctrine of a temporal millennium 
till the time of Daniel Whitby, who died 1728. 
It is also admitted by all that this was taught by 
Barnabas, Papias, Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna 
and disciple of John, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus r 
Turtullian, bishop of Carthage, Cyprian, Lactan- 
tius, Methodeus, bishop of Olympus, Epiphanius, 
Paulinus, bishop of Antioch, &c, who were con- 
temporaries and successors of the apostles. This 
belief was adopted A. D. 325 by the council of 
Nice, which consisted of 318 bishops, from all 
parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the refor- 
mation, this was the belief of Tyndel, Luther, 
and Calvin. It was also the belief of the mar- 
tyr Bradford, Goodwin, Gouge, Langley, Bun- 
yan, Wesley, Burnet, the learned Joseph Mede, 
Fletcher, Horsley, Bishop Newton, Sir Isaac New- 
ton, Milton, Sterry, Cotton Mather, and a host of 
others. In asserting this doctrine, we therefore 
only comply with the apostolic command, to ear- 
nestly contend for the faith once delivered to the 
saints. 

The accomplishment of this glorious promise 
9 



• 98 

must be the next great event in historical proph- 
ecy, when have been fulfilled all the events pre- 
dicted, which were to precede the consummation ; 
and be it remembered, that the only prophecies % 
claimed by our opponents to be unfulfilled, are 
those which they claim belong to a temporal mil- 
lennium and the restoration of the Jews. 

These predictions we have shown, by thus far 
unanswered arguments, drawn from the word of 
God, to apply only to the eternal state of the 
righteous in the regenerated earth, and in the 
restoration of the true Israel of God to their ever- 
lasting state, according to the sure promise of 
God made to our father Abraham. As, therefore, 
no events of prophecy, now unfulfilled, precede 
the Second Advent, we shall not turn aside from 
the expectation of the immediate fulfilment of these 
glorious promises — even if there should be any 
seeming delay, until we can say, " Lo, this is our 
God ; we have waited for him, and he will come 
and save us." We have no expectation of retir- 
ing from the contest till our King appear. We 
have enlisted for the war. Should time continue, 
the contest is well begun. Should the Saviour 
come to-day, we intend to be at our posts. With 
regard to the time of that event, we expect it in 
the " fulness of times ;" in the fulfilment of all 
the prophetic periods, none of which have yet 
been shown to extend beyond A. D. 1843. We 
are therefore looking for it at this time. Six thou- 
sand years from creation was the time when the 
primitive church was expecting the advent. And 
Luther, Bengel, Burnet, Fletcher, Wesley, and 
others, all had their eye at about this period of 
time. But now the fulfilment of the prophecies, 



99 

the end of the prophetic periods, and the signs of 
the times, admonish us that it is truly at the 

VERY DOORS. 

The public have been deceived by the secular 
and religious press, with regard to particular days 
and months that it is said the Saviour was ex- 
pected. There are too many difficulties in the 
way of fixing with certainty on any particular 
day, to render it safe to point to such with any 
degree of positiveness, although, to some minds, 
more probable circumstances may seem to point 
to some particular days, than others. When these 
days have been named by our brethren, they have 
been only their own individual opinions, and not 
the opinions of their friends. The cause is there- 
fore not responsible for any such limited views 
and calculations. 

We occupy the same ground that we have al- 
ways occupied, in accordance with the title-page 
of all Mr. Millers lectures, viz., that the second 
advent will be " about the year 1843." The 23d 
of April, to which all our opponents have looked, 
was never named by any of our friends, but only 
by our enemies. To maintain the belief of the 
coming of Christ now at the doors, to restore this 
earth to its Eden state, and restore to it the 
righteous, we claim the same right that any of 
our opponents have to present a contrary belief. 
And we mean to be put down neither by the spir- 
itualizing of the word of God, and wresting its 
alphabetical and common-sense meaning, or by 
the sneers, scoffs, sarcasms, or falsehoods of those 
who oppose us — the only forms of opposition with 
which we have had to contend. 

When it is shown, by sound argument, and the 



100 

sure word of God, that no second personal com- 
ing of Christ, and restoration of this earth to its 
Eden state, is taught in the Scriptures, then we 
shall cease to look for the coming of the Lord ; 
and not till then. We are ready and anxious to 
meet any and all candid arguments which may 
appear to any to militate against these truths ; and 
we claim an equal privilege to present, in return, 
the strong arguments and the promises of God 
upon which alone we stand. In the discussion 
of this great question, the truth or falsity of which 
vitally affects every son and daughter of Adam, 
we ask for a candid hearing, and are willing to 
abide an impartial examination. 

In support of our positions, we rest solely upon 
the testimony of the word of God, in its plain, ob- 
vious, and literal acceptation, and as understood 
by the apostles and their immediate successors. 
To the law and the testimony we appeal ; for we 
expect none other things but what Moses and the 
prophets have said shall come. We place no 
reliance whatever upon any visions, or dreams, 
mere impressions, or private revelations. " We 
have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto 
ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that 
shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and 
the day-star arise in your hearts. " " Search the 
Scriptures," said our Saviour ; and from them we 
profess to be able to give a reason for the hope 
that is in us, to every man that asketh us. 
Neither have we any confidence in the stability 
of those whose hopes are based upon impressions, 
and not upon the word of God ; for when their 
impressions are gone, their hopes will disappear 
with them. But the word of God endureth for- 



101 

ever, and those whose hopes are grounded upon 
it cannot be shaken, whatever may betide. 

We have no sectarian designs ; our sole object 
is to convince the churches and the world that the 
Bridegroom cometh, that all who will may pre- 
pare for his glorious appearing. We never have, 
nor do we now recommend that any leave their 
respective communions. We have no controversy 
with any of the religious sects of the day, or ex- 
isting ecclesiastical organizations, as such. Our 
standard of Christian character and fellowship, is 
to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and 
strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourself — 
walking soberly, godly, and righteously in this 
present evil world, doing good as we have oppor- 
tunity. 

Second Advent believers are found in all 
branches of the Christian Church ; and when we 
come together we all meet on common ground. 
We therefore deem it highly improper that any 
professed Second Advent believer should make 
his peculiar individual or sectarian views promi- 
nent in his professed Second Advent labors. We 
claim no right to dictate to any one what shall be 
his individual belief, or in reference to his eccle- 
siastical relations. We have no ecclesiastical 
organization, and wish none. We permit all to 
worship God according to the dictates of their own 
conscience ; and expect the same privilege for our- 
selves. We have nothing to do with any of the 
contested doctrinal points that agitate the churches ; 
nor have we approved the introduction of personal 
and private speculations, which may have led to 
unprofitable discussions. 

It has been claimed by our opponents that the 
9* 



102 

tendency of these views is to produce insanity. 
But it is questioned whether a single case can be 
produced where a believer has become insane on 
account of such belief. Those who cannot appre- 
ciate the truth may suppose them insane, as some 
of old were supposed to be full of new wine, and 
Paul was said to be mad ; or those whose views 
rest only on dreams and impressions may exhibit 
insanity in their excesses ; but these are not prin- 
ciples we advocate. It is also believed that fewer 
cases can be found of insanity, in connection with 
Second Advent views, in proportion to the believers, 
than can be produced in connection with ordinary 
religious teaching. The promises we present are 
so glorious and cheering, being none other than 
those the primitive church were told to " comfort 
each other" with, that, to the humble inquirer 
after truth, they would be much more likely to 
restore to sanity, then to render insane ; and 
such, it is believed, have been their practical ten- 
dency. 

The above is a condensed statement of our 
views and expectations ; we will now give the 
object for which the Tabernacle is opened. This 
has been erected for the accommodation of those 
citizens of Boston and vicinity, who may wish to 
come and learn from the word of God the reason 
of the hope that is in us. It will be occupied 
principally for lectures, where it is intended the 
truth shall be presented in a clear, rational, and 
candid manner, so that it may commend itself to 
the reason and good sense of all impartial hear- 
ers, and, taking root in their hearts, lead them to 
repentance, that they may bring forth the peace- 
able fruits of righteousness. We intend to permit 
no extravagances here, but to have everything done 



103 

decently and in order, so that those who assemble 
may not only have their hearts benefitted, but their 
minds enlightened. We repudiate all fanaticism. 
Our wishes are to reach the heart through the 
intellect, rather than the feelings. We, therefore, 
cordially invite all disposed to an impartial exami- 
nation of the Bible, to come and hear for them- 
selves. " Come now, and let us reason together," 
saith the Lord. 

In the conclusion of this address we can but add 
a word in relation to — 

Dangers which believers in the doctrine 
of the Second Advent should avoid. — So long 
as we are in this world, we are continually 
exposed to temptations on every hand ; for our 
adversary the devil goeth about like a roaring 
lion seeking whom he may devour. He also 
transforms himself into an angel of light. He is 
peculiarly anxious to secure in his wiles those 
who have escaped, or are endeavoring to escape, 
from his grasp ; and if any point is unguarded, 
that is sure to be the point of attack. Some indi- 
viduals are the more liable to fall into one class 
of errors, and some into another, owing to their 
peculiar temperament and the circumstances in 
which they are placed ; and so it is with classes 
and communities. Some dangers are peculiar to 
certain views ; and others are common to all. 
The dangers to which Second Advent believers 
are exposed, are by no means peculiar to them, 
but yet are not the less real. 

1. We should avoid a censorious spirit towards 
those who cannot see all things in the same light 
that we do. We should remember that once we 
were in the dark, but were none the less honest 
in our opinions then, than now. If others are 



104 

honest in their views, and are candid, they are 
entitled to the utmost charity. Censoriousness 
belongs only to those who oppose the coming of 
Christ. 

2. Second Advent believers are from all reli- 
gious denominations ; and to act in unison, it is 
necessary to meet on common ground ; to so meet, 
it is necessary to lay aside all sectarian views. 
All true brethren should, therefore, guard against 
making their own private views or sectarian belief 
too prominent, or as a necessary belief for those 
whose views are different. 

3. We should avoid bringing in, in connection 
with the Second Advent and as a preparation there- 
for, any doctrines not necessarily connected there- 
with. They only serve to divert the mind from 
the true issue, and repel those who might other- 
wise embrace the doctrine of the Second Advent. 
Heb. xiii. 9 : "Be not carried about with divers 
and strange doctrines : for it is a good thing that 
the heart be established with grace; not with 
meats, which have not profited them that have 
been occupied therein." 

4. We should avoid all extravagant notions, 
and everything which may tend to fanaticism. 
God is not the author of confusion. " Let every- 
thing be done decently and in order," says the 
Apostle. And " If any man offend not in word, 
the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle 
the whole body." "But the wisdom that is from 
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and 
easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, 
without partiality, and without hypocrisy ; and 
the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them 
that make peace." Anything which may cause 
an unbeliever to turn away in disgust, may pre- 



105 

vent the salvation of that soul. All things that 
are lawful are not expedient. As our great aim 
should be the salvation of souls, we should strive 
to win all, so that if by any means we may save 
some of them. 

5. We should avoid placing too much reliance 
upon impressions. " Believe not every spirit, but 
try the spirits w T hether they be of God." Im- 
pressions, visions, and dreams have thus far 
usually failed those who have put their trust in 
them ; which proves they were not of God. We, 
therefore, should use the utmost caution ere we 
trust to that which may also in the end fail us, 
and prove not to be of God. We have for our 
guide the sure word of God ; and those who wilt 
not believe Moses and the prophets, will not 
believe though one should rise from the dead. 
He that is of the faith of our father Abraham, will 
believe God upon his simple word ; and will need 
no other confirmation : but those who refuse to 
take the word of God without some other testi- 
mony, are dishonoring that word, and giving the 
pre-eminence to that which may be doubtful or 
spurious testimony. Jer. xxiii. 28, 29 : " The 
prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream ; 
and he that hath my word, let him speak my 
word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat ? 
saith the Lord. Is not my word like as a fire ? 
saith the Lord ; and like a hammer that breaketh 
the rock in pieces ? " 

6. Judge no man. James iv. 11 : " Speak not 
evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh 
evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speak- 
eth evil of the law, and judgeth the law : but if 
thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, 
but a judge." 



106 

7. We should avoid setting up one's own ex- 
perience as the standard by which to test the 
experience of others. Men's experience will dif- 
fer, as did those of the apostles. Had Paul 
required all to have the same experience that he 
had, the faith of many would have been staggered. 
The moment we set up our own attainments as a 
standard, we cease to point to Jesus, the only true 
pattern. We should look to him alone, and point 
others to him. 2 Cor. x. 12 : " For we dare not 
make ourselves of the number, or compare our- 
selves with some that commend themselves : but 
they, measuring themselves by themselves, and 
comparing themselves among themselves, are not 
wise." 

8. " Let him that thinketh be standeth take 
heed lest he fall." We are commanded to live 
with an eye single to the glory of God. Without 
holiness no man can see the Lord. We are to 
abstain from even the appearance of evil, and to 
depart from all iniquity, that the God of peace 
may sanctify us wholly unto himself, and preserve 
us blameless unto the coming of Christ. We 
should, therefore, avoid feeling that we have 
reached a point from which we cannot fall ; for 
our adversary is continually on the watch, that he 
may overcome us at our least guarded point. He 
likes to whisper in the ear of man that he has 
attained the victory, and become so holy, that, do 
what he will, it is not sin. Some have thus 
stumbled, supposing their warfare was accom- 
plished ; and have thus ceased to press forward 
towards the mark, so that Satan has led them cap- 
tive at his will. It will never answer to leave our 
watch, or lay down the weapons of defence ; for 
while we are probationers our course is a continual 



107 



warfare, a race, a strife for the victory ; and that 
victory can only be obtained by being faithful unto 
the end. There is no danger of being too holy : 
the danger lies in being satisfied with present 
attainments. 

9. We are commanded to occupy till Christ 
comes. We are to sow our seed, and gather our 
harvest, so long as God gives us seed-time and 
harvest. If we improve the coming seed-time, 
and have no harvest, we shall have done our duty ; 
and if a harvest should be granted us, we shall be 
prepared to reap. It is as much our duty now to 
be continually employed, either in providing for the 
wants of those dependent upon us, or in alleviating 
the distress of others, as it ever was. We are to 
do good as we have opportunity, and by no means 
spend our time in idleness. That would bring 
reproach on our Saviour. Let us see to it that our 
hearts are right in the sight of God, and then, 
whether we wake or sleep, are laboring to save 
souls, or are engaged in our daily avocations, we 
shall meet our Lord in peace. May the God of 
peace give all who profess to love his appearing 
that wisdom, that shall guide us aright, and lead 
us in the way of all truth, and redound the most 
to his honor and glory. 

Prescott Dickinson, 

Frederick Clapp, ' 

William M. Hatstat, 

Stephen Nichols, 

John Lang, 

Micajah Wood, 

Joseph G. Hamlin, 

John Augustus, 

Joshua V. Himes, 



Tabernacle 
Committee* 



DEPOT OF 

SECOND ADVENT PUBLICATIONS, 

M DEVONSHIRE ST., OFFICE OF THE " SIGNS OF THE TIMES." 



All communications relative to the Signs of the Times, and 
Publications on the Second Advent, should be addressed to 
JOSHUA V. HIMES, 14 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 

Important Works 

ON THE PROPHECIES OF THE SECOND ADVEN1 

OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. 

Miller on the Second Coming- of Christ. — In one volume 
This work contains nineteen Lectures ; to which is added a 
Supplement, containing a Chronological Chart of the prophetic 
periods, with an explanation. Price 50 cents. 

Miller's Life and Views. — In one volume. This work con- 
tains a Sketch of Mr. Miller's Life, his Chronology, the Chart 
and Exposition, eleven new lectures, reviews, letters, &c. Price 
50 cents. 

Bible Student's Manual. — This work is compiled from Mr. 
Miller's works, designed for a pocket note-book and manual. 
It contains the Chart, Rules of Interpretation, &c, with blank 
paper, for notes. Price 25 cents. 

An Address to the Public, and especially the Clergy, on the 
Near Approach of the Glorious, Everlasting Kingdom of God 
on Earth. By J. Litch. Price 25 cents. 

No. I., Second Advent Report of General Conference, held 
in Boston, Oct. 14th, 15th, 1840. This is a very able and im- 
portant document : it contains two discourses from Mr. Litcb, 
on the Second Advent — Chronology of Prophecy. One from 
Rev. Henry Jones, on the Restoration of Israel. Two from 
Mr. Miller, on the Chronology of the Prophetic Perioas — Judg- 
ment. One Discourse, in three parts, by H. D. Ward, on the 
Millennium. 174 pages. Price, 37 cents in boards, 25 cents 
in pamphlet. 

No. II., Second Advent Report of General Conference, held 
in Lowell, June 15th, 16th, 17th, 1841. This is a very able 
and important document : it contains the Proceedings of the 
Conference, Circular Address, Dissertation on Christ's Second 
Coming, Signs of Christ's Second Coming quickly, by Rev. 
Henry Jones. The Kingdom of God on Earth at hand, the 
Fall of the Ottoman Empire, and Dissertation on the Millen- 
nium, by Rev. Josiah Litch. Price $20 per hundred, and 25 
cents single. 



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